Shloka 25

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

Devanagari script

नास्य देवा न गन्धर्वा न पिशाचा न राक्षसा: । पदमन्ववरोहन्ति प्राप्तस्थ परमां गतिम्‌

Transliteration

nāsya devā na gandharvā na piśācā na rākṣasāḥ | padam anvavarohanti prāptastha paramāṃ gatim ||

Translation

Kahit ang mga diyos, ang mga Gandharva, ang mga Piśāca, at ang mga Rākṣasa ay hindi masusundan ang bakas ng mga yapak ng pantas na mahatma na nakaabot na sa sukdulang kalagayan. Ang kanyang landas ay lampas sa paggaya at paghabol; sapagkat ang kanyang hantungan ay ang pinakamataas, at ang daan ay maselan, panloob, at nakasalig sa tunay na kaalaman.

Word by Word

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• asya: of him/of this (person)
• asya: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (pronominal base: asmad/etat-series; here 'asya' of 'idam')
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• devāḥ: gods
• devāḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• na: nor/not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• gandharvāḥ: Gandharvas
• gandharvāḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandharva
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• na: nor/not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• piśācāḥ: Piśācas/ghouls
• piśācāḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: piśāca
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• na: nor/not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• rākṣasāḥ: Rākṣasas/demons
• rākṣasāḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• padam: footstep/track; position
• padam: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• anu: after, following
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anu

• avarohanti: follow/trace (lit. descend after)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava√ruh
• Form: present, 3rd, plural, parasmaipada

• prāptastha: one who has reached and stands (in)
• prāptastha: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāpta-stha
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• paramām: supreme, highest
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• gatim: state/goal, course, destiny
• gatim: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

Speaker

जैगीषव्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Jaigiṣavya
• Devas
• Gandharvas
• Piśācas
• Rākṣasas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the realized knower who has reached the supreme goal becomes untraceable by ordinary cosmic beings; liberation/ultimate attainment is subtle and inward, not something that even powerful beings can ‘follow’ as an external path.

What is happening in the narrative?

Jaigiṣavya is describing the stature of a liberated sage: even exalted classes of beings—devas, gandharvas, piśācas, and rākṣasas—cannot track or imitate the realized one’s ‘footsteps’ once he has attained the highest state.