Shloka 32

Devanagari script

नदद्वारं पुरं गत्वा हंसो हि नियतो वशी । ईश: सर्वस्य भूतस्य स्थावरस्य चरस्य च,स्थावर-जंगम सभी प्राणियोंका ईश्वर स्वाधीन परमात्मा नव द्वारोंवाले शरीरमें प्रवेश करके हंस (जीव) रूपसे स्थिरतापूर्वक स्थित है

Transliteration

nava-dvāraṁ puraṁ gatvā haṁso hi niyato vaśī | īśaḥ sarvasya bhūtasya sthāvarasya carasya ca ||

Translation

เมื่อเข้าสู่นครที่มีประตูเก้าบาน—คือกายนี้—หงส์ (ชีวาตมัน) ย่อมดำรงอยู่อย่างมั่นคง มีวินัย และควบคุมตนได้ พระองค์ทรงเป็นอีศวรแห่งสรรพสัตว์ทั้งปวง ทั้งที่อยู่นิ่งและที่เคลื่อนไหว

Word by Word

नवद्वारम्the nine-gated (body/city)

पुरम्city (i.e., body)

गत्वाhaving gone/entered

हंसःthe haṃsa (individual self)

हिindeed/for

नियतःrestrained/steady

वशीself-controlled/masterful

ईशःthe Lord

सर्वस्यof all

भूतस्यof (every) being/creature

स्थावरस्यof the immobile

चरस्यof the mobile

चand

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

īśa (the Lord/Supreme)

haṁsa (inner self/jīva)

nava-dvāra-pura (the nine-gated city/body)

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?

The body is a ‘city of nine gates,’ but the true ruler within is the Lord/inner Self. Recognizing this indwelling sovereignty supports niyama (discipline) and vaśitva (self-mastery), encouraging ethical restraint rather than being driven by the senses.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa states a metaphysical instruction: the Supreme, as the Lord of all beings, is present within embodied existence. Using the image of entering the nine-gated city, he describes the haṁsa (inner self) as steady and self-controlled, framing a contemplative teaching rather than an external event.