Shloka 16

ब्रह्मघोष-प्रवर्तनम्, अनध्याय-नियमः, वायु-मार्ग-वर्णनम्

Restoring Vedic Recitation, the Anadhyaya Rule, and the Taxonomy of Winds

Devanagari script

पुष्करं त्वन्यदेवात्र तथान्यदुदकं स्मृतम्‌ । न चोदकस्य स्पर्शेन लिप्यते तत्र पुष्करम्‌

Transliteration

puṣkaraṃ tv anyad evātra tathānyad udakaṃ smṛtam | na codakasya sparśena lipyate tatra puṣkaram |

Translation

Sinabi ni Yājñavalkya: “Dito, ang lotus ay isang bagay, at ang tubig ay itinuturing na iba. Kahit madampian ng tubig, ang lotus ay hindi nadudungisan nito. Gayon din, ang tunay na tao (puruṣa) ay hiwalay sa kalikasan (prakṛti) at nananatiling di-nakadikit.”

Word by Word

• पुष्करम्: lotus
• पुष्करम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• अन्यत्: another, different
• अन्यत्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एव: certainly/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अत्र: here/in this case
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• तथा: so/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अन्यत्: another, different
• अन्यत्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• उदकम्: water
• उदकम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• स्मृतम्: is said/considered
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• उदकस्य: of water
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• स्पर्शेन: by (its) touch
• स्पर्शेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• लिप्यते: is smeared/tainted
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप्
• Form: Lat (Present), Atmanepada, Third, Singular, Passive/impersonal sense (कर्मणि प्रयोग)

• तत्र: there/in that case
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• पुष्करम्: the lotus
• पुष्करम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

याज़्वल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya
• puṣkara (lotus)
• udaka (water)
• puruṣa
• prakṛti

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches asanga (non-attachment): just as a lotus remains unstained though it lives in water, the puruṣa (true self) is distinct from prakṛti (material nature) and should be understood as untouched by its qualities and changes.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, Yājñavalkya uses a vivid metaphor—lotus and water—to clarify the philosophical distinction between the self and material nature, urging inner detachment while living amid worldly conditions.