Shloka 12

Śrī–Indra–Bali Saṃvāda: The Departure and Fourfold Placement of Lakṣmī

Devanagari script

पञ्चज्ञ: पञज्चकृत्पज्चगुण: पञजचशिख: स्मृतः । पुरुषावस्थमव्यक्तं परमार्थ न्यवेदयत्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | pañcajñaḥ pañcakṛt pañcaguṇaḥ pañcaśikhaḥ smṛtaḥ | puruṣāvastham avyaktam paramārthaṃ nyavedayat |

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Ông được nhớ đến với danh Pañcaśikha—bậc ‘biết năm’, ‘hành qua năm’, và ‘đủ năm phẩm tính’. Ông đã thuyết minh chân lý tối thượng: nguyên lý vô hiển lộ an trụ trong trạng thái của puruṣa (chủ thể tinh thần).”

Word by Word

• पञ्चज्ञः: one who knows five (things)
• पञ्चज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पञ्चकृत्: one who performs five (acts)
• पञ्चकृत्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चकृत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पञ्चगुणः: possessing five qualities
• पञ्चगुणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चगुण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पञ्चशिखः: Pañcaśikha (proper name; 'five-crested')
• पञ्चशिखः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चशिख
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्मृतः: is remembered/called
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ
• Form: क्त, Passive (past participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरुषावस्थम्: the state/condition of the person (puruṣa)
• पुरुषावस्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषावस्था
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अव्यक्तम्: unmanifest
• अव्यक्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यक्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• परमार्थम्: the highest truth/ultimate meaning
• परमार्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• न्यवेदयत्: he informed/expounded
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (वेदयति)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada, नि

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Pañcaśikha
• Āsuri
• Kapila (as doctrinal affiliation: Kapilamata)
• muni (sages/ascetics)
• āśrama (hermitage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a teacher (Pañcaśikha) who explains the paramārtha—the ultimate truth—identified with the ‘unmanifest’ (avyakta) principle present within the individual. It frames liberation-oriented knowledge as grounded in disciplined virtues and insight into what lies beyond the fivefold psycho-physical layers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes how a gathering of Kapila-aligned sages approaches the sage Āsuri in his hermitage to request instruction about the unmanifest highest reality within each person. Pañcaśikha is singled out among them as especially qualified—defined through fivefold mastery and five virtues—and as the one who conveys the teaching.