Shloka 24

ध्यानयोगवर्णनम्

Description of the Path of Meditation

Devanagari script

आत्मानं तं विजानीहि सर्वलोकहितात्मकम्‌ | तस्मिन्‌ य: संश्रितो देहे हाब्बिन्दुरिव पुष्करे

Transliteration

ātmānaṃ taṃ vijānīhi sarvalokahitātmakam | tasmin yaḥ saṃśrito dehe haṃsabindur iva puṣkare ||

Translation

婆罗堕阇说道：“当知此我，其本性即为诸世界之利益。虽依止于身而住，实则与身相离，如水滴停于莲叶之上。”

Word by Word

• आत्मानम्: the Self
• आत्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तम्: that (one)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विजानीहि: know (clearly)
• विजानीहि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सर्वलोकहितात्मकम्: whose nature is the welfare of all worlds
• सर्वलोकहितात्मकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-लोक-हित-आत्मक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तस्मिन्: in that (Self)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

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

• संश्रितः: having resorted to / abiding in
• संश्रितः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-श्रि
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• देहे: in the body
• देहे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• जलबिन्दुः: a drop of water
• जलबिन्दुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल-बिन्दु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुष्करे: on/in a lotus (leaf)
• पुष्करे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

भरद्वाज उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bharadvaja
• Atman (Self)
• body (deha)
• lotus leaf (puṣkara)
• water drop (bindu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The Self (Ātman) is intrinsically oriented to universal welfare and is not truly bound to the body; even while dwelling in it, it remains untouched and distinct, like a water drop that does not cling to a lotus leaf.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a didactic passage of the Śānti Parva, Bharadvāja instructs the listener to recognize the nature of the Ātman, using the lotus-leaf metaphor to emphasize inner detachment and the Self’s separateness from bodily identity.