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Shloka 3

जनकस्य मोक्षमार्गप्रश्नः तथा पञ्चशिखोपदेश-प्रस्तावः | Janaka’s Path to Liberation: Prelude to Pañcaśikha’s Instruction

अभिद्रवत्ययस्कान्तमयो निश्चेतनं यथा । स्वभावहेतुजा भावा यद्वदन्यदपीदृशम्‌

abhidravaty ayaskāntam ayo niścetanaṃ yathā | svabhāva-hetujā bhāvā yadvad anyad apīdṛśam ||

Bhīṣma nói: “Như sắt tuy vô tri vẫn lao về phía nam châm, cũng vậy, khi một thân thể hình thành, những khuynh hướng bẩm sinh của hữu tình—cùng với vô minh, dục vọng, và sức đà của nghiệp quá khứ cùng các thứ khác—bị hút về đó và bám chặt lấy.”

अभिद्रवतिruns/flows towards, is drawn towards
अभिद्रवति:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootअभि+द्रु (धातु)
FormLat (present), 3rd, singular, Parasmaipada
अयस्कान्तम्to the magnet (lodestone)
अयस्कान्तम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअयस्कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formmasculine, accusative, singular
अयःiron
अयः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formneuter, nominative, singular
निश्चेतनम्insentient, unconscious
निश्चेतनम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootनिश्चेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formneuter, nominative, singular
यथाjust as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
स्वभावहेतुजाःarising from (one's) nature as the cause
स्वभावहेतुजाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootस्वभावहेतुज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
भावाःstates/qualities/dispositions
भावाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
यद्वत्in the same way as
यद्वत्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयद्वत्
अन्यत्other (thing)
अन्यत्:
Karta
TypePronoun/Adjective
Rootअन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formneuter, nominative, singular
अपिalso/even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
ईदृशम्such/like this
ईदृशम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootईदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
Formneuter, nominative, singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
A
ayaskānta (magnet)
A
ayas (iron)

Educational Q&A

Bhīṣma teaches that bondage is not random: when embodiment occurs, innate tendencies (svabhāva/samskāra) and afflictions like ignorance and desire naturally ‘attach’ themselves, propelled by causal forces such as karma—much like iron is compelled toward a magnet.

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on liberation-oriented ethics and self-knowledge, Bhīṣma explains to the listener how psychological and karmic forces arise with embodiment, using a vivid physical analogy (iron and magnet) to clarify inevitability and causation.