Shloka 19

Jñāna-plava (The Raft of Knowledge): Svabhāva, Prajñā, and the Ascent to Ātmajñāna

Devanagari script

आस्थितस्तमहं मार्गमसूयिष्यामि क॑ कथम्‌ | निन्द्यमान: प्रशस्तो वा हृष्ये5हं केन हेतुना

Transliteration

āsthitas tam ahaṃ mārgaṃ asūyiṣyāmi kaḥ katham | nindyamānaḥ praśasto vā hṛṣye ’haṃ kena hetunā ||

Translation

Ako’y nanindigan sa mismong landas ng dharma. Kaya kapag nakarinig ako ng paninisi, bakit ko titingnan ang sinuman nang may masamang loob? At kahit makarinig ako ng papuri, sa anong dahilan ako magagalak nang labis?

Word by Word

• आस्थितः: having resorted to / having adopted
• आस्थितः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु) / आस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle), parasmaipada sense used adjectivally

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• मार्गम्: path
• मार्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• असूयिष्यामि: I shall be envious / I shall censure
• Type: Verb
• Root: असूय् (धातु)
• Form: Future (लृट्), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कः: who? / why?
• कः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• निन्द्यमानः: being blamed / when blamed
• निन्द्यमानः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: निन्द् (धातु) / निन्द्यमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, शानच् (present passive participle; being censured)

• प्रशस्तः: praised
• प्रशस्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-शंस् (धातु) / प्रशस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle; praised)

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• हृष्ये: I rejoice / I become glad
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृष् (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 1st, Singular, Ātmanepada

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• केन: by what? / for what (reason)?
• केन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• हेतुना: by reason / because
• हेतुना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

जैगीषव्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Jaigiṣavya (Jaīgiṣavya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One who is established in dharma should not be shaken by social reactions. Blame should not provoke hostility, and praise should not inflate the ego; both are external and unstable, whereas dharma is an inner commitment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Jaigiṣavya, speaking in the Śānti Parva’s ethical discourse, explains his stance of inner steadiness: since he follows the dharmic path, he refuses to respond to criticism with resentment or to compliments with self-congratulation.