Shloka 46

Mind as Charioteer; Kṣetrajña, Tapas, and Dhyāna-Yoga

Adhyātma-Upadeśa

Devanagari script

शुक्लं कृष्णं तथा रक्त नील॑ पीतारुणं तथा

Transliteration

śuklaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ tathā raktaṃ nīlaṃ pītāruṇaṃ tathā | vijñeyaṃ brāhmaṇair vṛddhair dharmajñaiḥ satyavādibhiḥ ||

Translation

Vāyu-deva nói: “Trắng, đen, và đỏ; xanh, vàng, và màu hung đỏ (tawny) nữa—những điều ấy cần được các Brāhmaṇa cao niên, những người nói thật và am tường dharma, nhận biết như các phân biệt của hình sắc rực sáng/thuộc hỏa (tejas).”

Word by Word

• शुक्लम्: white
• शुक्लम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कृष्णम्: black
• कृष्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• रक्तम्: red
• रक्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• नीलम्: blue/dark-blue
• नीलम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पीतारुणम्: yellow and tawny/reddish-brown
• पीतारुणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीतारुण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• विज्ञेयम्: to be known/should be understood
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+ज्ञा
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular, तव्यत् (gerundive)

• ब्राह्मणैः: by Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• वृद्धैः: by elders/aged (ones)
• वृद्धैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• धर्मज्ञैः: by knowers of dharma
• धर्मज्ञैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सत्यवादिभिः: by truth-speakers
• सत्यवादिभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यवादिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu-deva
• Brāhmaṇas (elders)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True understanding of subtle distinctions (here, the color-forms of a radiant/fiery principle) is entrusted to disciplined authorities—elders who are both dharma-knowing and committed to truth—linking knowledge with ethical qualification.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva is speaking and enumerates a set of color categories (white, black, red, blue, yellow, tawny), stating that such distinctions are to be recognized and taught by venerable, truthful Brāhmaṇas who know dharma.