Shloka 20

Devanagari script

एक एवेति जानीहि त्रिधा धर्मस्य दर्शनम्‌ | पृथक्त्वे च न मे बुद्धिस्त्रयाणामपि वै तथा

Transliteration

eka eveti jānīhi tridhā dharmasya darśanam | pṛthaktve ca na me buddhis trayāṇām api vai tathā ||

Translation

当确知：达摩唯有一。它通过三种认知之途而呈现为三重的观照；然而我不承认这三者会建立彼此分离、互不相同的达摩。它们只是不同的门径，终归同一伦理真理。

Word by Word

• एकः: one (single)
• एकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• जानीहि: know (you should know)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• त्रिधा: in three ways
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिधा

• धर्मस्य: of dharma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• दर्शनम्: seeing/vision/understanding
• दर्शनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पृथक्त्वे: in separateness/distinctness
• पृथक्त्वे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथक्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

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

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

• मे: of me/my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• बुद्धिः: understanding/opinion
• बुद्धिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• त्रयाणाम्: of the three
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• वै: indeed (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

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

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma teaches that dharma is fundamentally one, even if it is approached or recognized through three different modes of understanding; the plurality lies in methods, not in the essence of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma, clarifying that apparently different authorities or approaches should be reconciled as pointing to a single dharmic truth rather than competing dharmas.