Shloka 5

अध्याय ३३ — धृतराष्ट्रस्य कुशलप्रश्नाः तथा विदुरस्य योगसमाधिः

Chapter 33: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Welfare-Inquiries and Vidura’s Yogic Absorption

Devanagari script

महाभूतानि नित्यानि भूताधिपतिसंश्रयात्‌ । तेषां च नित्यसंवासो न विनाशो वियुज्यताम्‌

Transliteration

mahābhūtāni nityāni bhūtādhipati-saṃśrayāt | teṣāṃ ca nitya-saṃvāso na vināśo viyujyatām ||

Translation

毗舍婆耶那曰：“五大恒常不灭，因其依止于众生之主。它们的和合相续不断；一旦离散，也只是分离，并非毁灭。”

Word by Word

• महाभूतानि: the great elements (five elements)
• महाभूतानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभूत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• नित्यानि: eternal, permanent
• नित्यानि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• भूताधिपति-संश्रयात्: from dependence on the lord of beings/elements
• भूताधिपति-संश्रयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूताधिपति-संश्रय
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

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

• नित्य-संवासः: constant association/dwelling together
• नित्य-संवासः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नित्यसंवास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• विनाशः: destruction
• विनाशः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वियुज्यताम्: let there be separation / let it be separated
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-युज्
• Form: Lot (Imperative/benedictive sense), Atmanepada, Third, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• mahābhūtas (five great elements)
• Bhūtādhipati (Lord of beings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The five great elements are fundamentally indestructible; what we call death is the breakup of their temporary bodily combination. Separation is not annihilation, so one should face mortality with steadiness and detachment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana delivers a reflective teaching in the Ashramavāsika setting, interpreting bodily death through the doctrine of the elements and their dependence on the Lord of beings, to console and instruct about the nature of dissolution.