Shloka 24

कामद्रुम-रूपकः तथा शरीर-पुर-रूपकः

The Desire-Tree and the Body-as-City Metaphors

Devanagari script

अभिमानो मृषावादो लोभो मोहस्तथाक्षमा | लिज्ञरानि रजसस्तानि वर्तन्ते हेत्वहेतुत:,अभिमान, असत्यभाषण, लोभ, मोह और असहनशीलता-ये दोष चाहे किसी कारणसे प्रकट हुए हों अथवा बिना कारणके हर एक परिस्थितिमें रजोगुणके ही चिह्न माने गये हैं

Transliteration

abhimāno mṛṣāvādo lobho mohastathākṣamā | liṅgāni rajasastāni vartante hetvahetutaḥ ||

Translation

అభిమానం, అసత్యవాక్యం, లోభం, మోహం, మరియు అసహనం—ఇవి రజోగుణ లక్షణాలు. ఇవి కారణంతో గానీ, కారణం లేకుండానే గానీ ప్రవర్తించినా—రజసు ప్రాబల్యమే అని గ్రహించవలెను.

Word by Word

अभिमानःpride, self-conceit

मृषावादःfalse speech, lying

लोभःgreed

मोहःdelusion

तथाand also, likewise

अक्षमाintolerance, unforbearance

लिङ्गानिmarks, signs

रजसःof rajas (the quality of passion/activity)

तानिthose (i.e., these mentioned)

वर्तन्तेoccur, are found, prevail

हेतुby/with a cause

अहेतुतःwithout cause, causelessly

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

These five faults—egoism, lying, greed, delusion, and intolerance—are presented as diagnostic signs of rajas. Their appearance, whether triggered by circumstances or arising spontaneously, indicates a mind dominated by passion and agitation rather than sattva (clarity) and restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic discourse of the Śānti Parva, Vyāsa is characterizing the guṇas by their observable symptoms. Here he identifies behaviors and mental tendencies that reveal rajas, guiding the listener toward ethical self-assessment and cultivation of steadiness and truth.