Shloka 22

Devanagari script

नद्यां चेह यथा काष्ठमुहामानं यदृच्छया । यदृच्छयैव काछ्लेन सन्धिं गच्छेत केनचित्‌

Transliteration

nadyāṃ ceha yathā kāṣṭham ūḍhamānaṃ yadṛcchayā | yadṛcchayaiva kāṣṭhena sandhiṃ gacchet kenacit ||

Translation

Kung paanong dito, ang isang piraso ng kahoy ay tinatangay ng ilog dahil lamang sa pagkakataon, at sa gayon ding pagkakataon ay sumasayad at napapadikit sa isa pang piraso ng kahoy, gayon din sa daigdig: ang mga pagkikita at pakikisama ay madalas mangyari nang walang sinadyang balak. Kaya ang pantas ay hindi dapat magtayo ng pagmamataas, poot, o pagkakapit sa mga pangyayaring nagkataon lamang, kundi kumilos nang matatag at may pag-unawa sa dharma.

Word by Word

नद्याम्in a river

चand

इहhere

यथाjust as

काष्ठम्a piece of wood

ऊहमानम्being carried/drifted (along)

यदृच्छयाby chance; accidentally

एवindeed; just

काष्ठेनwith/by a piece of wood

सन्धिम्meeting; union; contact

गच्छेत्would go/come to; might reach

केनचित्with/by someone/something; by some (one)

Speaker

तुलाधार उवाच

Characters & Entities

river (nadī)

piece of wood/log (kāṣṭha)

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Tūlādhāra teaches that many encounters and connections arise by mere chance, like logs meeting in a river; therefore one should not base strong attachment, enmity, or ego on such accidental conjunctions, but remain grounded in dharma and clear judgment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s dialogue, Tūlādhāra speaks in a didactic tone, using a simple natural simile (logs drifting and meeting) to explain the contingent nature of worldly associations and to guide the listener toward steadiness and non-attachment.