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Shloka 11

अव्यक्त–प्रकृति–इन्द्रियविचारः

The Unmanifest, Prakṛtis, and the Sense-Complex

मर्यादायां धर्मसेतुर्निबद्धो नैव सीदति । पुष्टस्रोत इवासक्त: स्फीतो भवति संचय:

maryādāyāṃ dharmasetur nibaddho naiva sīdati | puṣṭasrota ivāsaktaḥ sphīto bhavati saṃcayaḥ ||

Parāśara nói: Khi con đê như chiếc cầu của dharma được buộc chặt trong những ranh giới cổ xưa của chánh hạnh, nó không sụp đổ. Như một con đập vững bắc ngang sông làm cho dòng nước thêm mạnh và được duy trì, cũng vậy, sự chế ngự đã an lập ấy gìn giữ dharma; và từ đó, kho tàng khổ hạnh tích lũy tăng trưởng—không vướng chấp, không vì tư lợi.

मर्यादायाम्in the boundary/limit (traditional norm)
मर्यादायाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमर्यादा
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular
धर्मसेतुःthe dam/bridge of dharma
धर्मसेतुः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्मसेतु
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
निबद्धःbound/fastened
निबद्धः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootनि-बन्ध्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, kta (past passive participle)
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
एवindeed/just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
सीदतिsinks/fails/declines
सीदति:
TypeVerb
Rootसद्
FormPresent, Lat, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
पुष्टस्रोतःa strong/full stream-current
पुष्टस्रोतः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपुष्टस्रोतस्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
इवlike/as
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
आसक्तःattached/clinging
आसक्तः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootआ-सञ्ज्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, kta (past passive participle)
स्फीतःswollen/increased
स्फीतः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootस्फीत
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
भवतिbecomes
भवति:
TypeVerb
Rootभू
FormPresent, Lat, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
संचयःaccumulation/store
संचयः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसंचय
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

पराशर उवाच

P
Parāśara
D
dharma (as a principle)
D
dharmasetu (metaphorical embankment/bridge)
R
river/current (metaphor)

Educational Q&A

Dharma endures when it is anchored in established moral boundaries (maryādā). Such disciplined restraint prevents ethical collapse and allows spiritual merit/austerity (tapas) to accumulate and grow without selfish attachment.

Parāśara is instructing his listener using a vivid analogy: just as a strong dam within a river’s course does not break and helps sustain a robust flow, so a well-established ‘embankment’ of dharma, fixed in traditional norms, remains stable and fosters the growth of accumulated spiritual power.