Shloka 20

Śānti-parva 206: Guṇa-hetu Moha, Kāma-krodha Chain, Indriya-utpatti, and Nirodha

Devanagari script

अदृष्टतो<नुपायाच्च प्रतिसंधेश्व॒ कर्मण: । न तेन मर्त्या: पश्यन्ति येन गच्छन्ति तत्‌ पदम्‌

Transliteration

adṛṣṭato'nupāyāc ca pratisaṃdheṣu karmaṇaḥ | na tena martyāḥ paśyanti yena gacchanti tat padam ||

Translation

Wika ni Bhīṣma: Sapagkat hindi ito nakikita nang tuwiran, sapagkat hindi nauunawaan ang mga paraan, at sapagkat ang mga gawa ay nabibitag sa magkakasalungat na pagsasaalang-alang, hindi natatanaw ng mga mortal ang landas na nagdadala sa sukdulang kalagayan. Dahil sa kamalasan, kakulangan sa espirituwal na yaman, at pagkakapit sa bunga ng gawa, hindi nakikilala ng tao ang daang patungo sa Kataas-taasan.

Word by Word

• अदृष्टतः: due to being unseen / from the unseen
• अदृष्टतः: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अदृष्ट
• Form: Ablatival adverb (tas-anta), meaning 'from/owing to not being seen'

• अनुपायात्: from lack of means / because of no method
• अनुपायात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुपाय
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: Conjunction

• प्रतिसन्धेषु: in/among the connections (links, continuities)
• प्रतिसन्धेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिसन्धि
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• कर्मणः: of action / of karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न
• Form: Negation

• तेन: by that / through that
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• मर्त्याः: mortals / human beings
• मर्त्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पश्यन्ति: see
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Present tense (Lat), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular (relative pronoun)

• गच्छन्ति: go / attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Present tense (Lat), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पदम्: state/abode/goal (step, position)
• पदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The way to the highest goal (tat padam) is subtle and not grasped by ordinary perception; when people lack proper means (upāya) and remain caught in doubts and attachment to the fruits of karma, they fail to recognize the liberating path.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and liberation; here he explains why most humans do not discern the route to the supreme state—because it is not directly visible, the method is not understood, and karmic entanglements and fruit-attachment obscure insight.