Shloka 14

Bhīṣma Parva, Adhyāya 4 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Vyāsa Saṃvāda on Kāla and Jayalakṣaṇa

Signs of Victory

Devanagari script

उद्धिज्जा: स्थावरा: प्रोक्तास्तेषां पजचैव जातय: । वृक्षगुल्मलतावलल्‍ल्यस्त्वक्सारास्तृणजातय:,स्थावरोंको उद्धिज्ज कहते हैं। उनकी पाँच ही जातियाँ हैं--वृक्ष, गुल्म, लता, वल्ली और त्वक्सार (बाँस आदि)। ये सब तृणवर्गकी जातियाँ हैं

Transliteration

uddhijāḥ sthāvarāḥ proktās teṣāṃ pañcaiva jātayaḥ | vṛkṣa-gulma-latā-vallī-tvak-sārās tṛṇa-jātayaḥ ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Sañjaya: Yaong mga nilalang na isinilang sa pagsibol ay tinatawag na “di-nakakilos” (mga halaman). Sinasabing may limang uri ang mga ito—mga punò, mga palumpong, mga gumagapang na baging, mga umaakyat na baging, at yaong may hibla o ubod na tila balat (gaya ng kawayan). Lahat ng ito’y ibinibilang sa mga uri ng damo at halaman.

Word by Word

उद्भिज्जाःsprouting beings (plants, those that sprout from the earth)

स्थावराःimmobile beings

प्रोक्ताःare said/called

तेषाम्of them

पञ्चfive

एवindeed/only

जातयःkinds/classes

वृक्षtree

गुल्मshrub/bush

लताcreeper (vine)

वल्लीclimbing plant/tendril-creeper

त्वक्साराःthose having bark as essence (e.g., bamboo etc.)

तृणजातयःgrass-type kinds (belonging to the grass group)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

sthāvara (immobile beings/plants)

uddhija (sprout-born plants)

vṛkṣa

gulma

latā

vallī

tvaksāra (e.g., bamboo)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a traditional Mahābhārata-style classification of plant life: sprout-born, immobile beings are grouped into five recognizable botanical categories, emphasizing an ordered view of nature.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing categories of living beings in an enumerative, instructional manner, listing the five types of plant (sthāvara/uddhija) forms.