Shloka 23

भीमसेननादः तथा प्रथमसंमर्दः

Bhīmasena’s Roar and the First Clash

Devanagari script

उदासीनवदासीनोः गुणैयों न विचाल्यते । गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येव योडवतिष्ठति नेज़ते

Transliteration

udāsīnavad āsīno guṇair yo na vicālyate | guṇā vartanta ity eva yo 'vatiṣṭhati neṅgate ||

Translation

那人如若淡然端坐，不为诸古那所动；了知“唯有古那在古那之中运转”；并安住于此见而不动摇——此人立为证者，于万象迁流之际，仍自制而明辨，伦理之光澄然不昧。

Word by Word

• उदासीनवत्: like one indifferent
• उदासीनवत्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदासीन + वत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आसीनः: seated; abiding
• आसीनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आस् (धातु) → आसीन (क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गुणैः: by the qualities (gunas)
• गुणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• विचाल्यते: is shaken; is disturbed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चल्
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Singular

• गुणाः: the qualities (gunas)
• गुणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वर्तन्ते: operate; proceed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Present, Atmanepada, Third, Plural

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

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

• गुणेषु: among/in the qualities
• गुणेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• अवतिष्ठति: stands firm; remains
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + स्था
• Form: Present, Parasmaipada, Third, Singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• इङ्गते: moves; wavers
• Type: Verb
• Root: इङ्ग् (इङ्ग्/इङ्ग् चलने) / इङ्ग् (चलने)
• Form: Present, Atmanepada, Third, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• guṇas (sattva-rajas-tamas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Stability comes from discerning that the changing forces of prakṛti (the guṇas) are what act and react; the wise person abides as a steady witness, not being inwardly shaken by those fluctuations.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of the Kurukṣetra teaching dialogue, Arjuna asks about the marks of one who has transcended the guṇas; this verse describes such a person’s unshakable, witness-like steadiness.