Shloka 27

अव्यक्त–प्रकृति–इन्द्रियविचारः

The Unmanifest, Prakṛtis, and the Sense-Complex

Devanagari script

नीहारेण हि संवीत: शिश्नरोदरपरायण: । जात्यन्ध इव पन्थानमावृतात्मा न बुद्धयते

Transliteration

nīhāreṇa hi saṃvītaḥ śiśnodara-parāyaṇaḥ | jātyandha iva panthānam āvṛtātmā na budhyate ||

Translation

మోహరూప మబ్బుతో కప్పబడి, శిశ్న-ఉదరాసక్తిగా ఉండి, అజ్ఞానంతో ఆవరించబడిన వాడు మార్గాన్ని గ్రహించలేడు—జన్మాంధుడు దారిని చూడలేనట్లే.

Word by Word

• नीहारेण: by/with fog, mist
• नीहारेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीहार
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• संवीतः: covered, enveloped
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-√वे (वे/वी)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• शिश्नरोदरपरायणः: devoted to lust and belly (sex and food)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिश्न-उदर-परायण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जात्यन्धः: one blind from birth
• जात्यन्धः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति-अन्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• पन्थानम्: the path, road
• पन्थानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आवृतात्मा: one whose self is covered/obscured
• आवृतात्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवृत-आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• बुद्ध्यते: understands, perceives
• Type: Verb
• Root: √बुध्
• Form: Lat (present), Atmanepada, Third, Singular, Active (Atmanepada usage)

Speaker

पराशर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A mind dominated by sensuality and appetite, and veiled by ignorance, cannot discern the path to liberation—just as congenital blindness prevents seeing a road. The verse urges restraint and inner clarity as prerequisites for mokṣa.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s didactic discourse, the sage Parāśara instructs about spiritual impediments. He uses the image of fog and congenital blindness to explain why a sense-driven, deluded person fails to recognize the liberating path.