Shloka 23

Devanagari script

न विदुर्यस्थ भवनमादित्या: सूक्ष्मदर्शिन: । स कथ॑ नरमात्रेण शक्‍्यो ज्ञातुं सतां गति:

Transliteration

na vidur yatra bhavanam ādityāḥ sūkṣma-darśinaḥ | sa kathaṁ nara-mātreṇa śakyo jñātuṁ satāṁ gatiḥ ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Vāsudeva: “Maging ang mga Āditya na may masusing paningin ay hindi nalalaman ang tahanang kinaroroonan Niya. Paano nga Siya tunay na makikilala ng isang hamak na tao—Siya na kanlungan at hantungan ng mga matuwid?”

Word by Word

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

• विदुः: know
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• यस्य: whose
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• भवनम्: dwelling, abode
• भवनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आदित्याः: the Ādityas (solar deities)
• आदित्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सूक्ष्मदर्शिनः: subtle-seeing, keen-sighted
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्मदर्शिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सः: he/that (one)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• नरमात्रेण: by a mere human (alone)
• नरमात्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरमात्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• शक्यः: possible, able (to be done/known)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ज्ञातुम्: to know
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा
• Form: Infinitive (tumun)

• सताम्: of the good/virtuous
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• गतिः: course, state, true nature/way
• गतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Ādityas
• Śiva (implied as the one whose abode is unknown; satāṁ gatiḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches epistemic humility: even exalted divine beings with subtle perception cannot fully know the Lord’s abode and nature, so humans should not claim complete comprehension. Ethically, it encourages reverence, restraint in judgment, and devotion rather than arrogance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) is speaking in praise of Śiva, emphasizing the inscrutability of Śiva’s true state and the difficulty of grasping the ‘gati’ (refuge/goal) of the righteous. The statement elevates Śiva’s transcendence within the discourse of Anuśāsana Parva.