Shloka 23

Varāha-avatāra: Viṣṇu’s subterranean intervention and the cosmic nāda (Śānti-parva 202)

Devanagari script

चलं॑ यथा दृष्टिपथं परैति सूक्ष्म महद्‌ रूपमिवाभिभाति । स्वरूपमालोचयते च रूप॑ परं तथा बुद्धिपथं परैति

Transliteration

calaṁ yathā dṛṣṭipathaṁ paraiti sūkṣma-mahad rūpam ivābhibhāti | svarūpam ālocayate ca rūpaṁ paraṁ tathā buddhi-pathaṁ paraiti ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：譬如人坐于疾行之舟，岸上之树反似急速后退；如是，不动不变之我，因智之变相而似乎亦在变。又如借助镜片，细字见粗，小形见大；如是，微细之我与身及分别诸力之聚合相连，便被误认作身之形相。然而，正如明镜能现己面之影，清净之智亦能使人一瞥我之自性。

Word by Word

• चलम्: moving, unsteady (object)
• चलम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• दृष्टि-पथम्: the range/path of sight
• दृष्टि-पथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परैति: goes, passes
• परैति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, एकवचन

• सूक्ष्मम्: subtle (thing)
• सूक्ष्मम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महत्: great, large
• महत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रूपम्: form, appearance
• रूपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• अभिभाति: shines forth, appears
• अभिभाति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, एकवचन

• स्व-रूपम्: one’s own nature/form
• स्व-रूपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आलोचयते: observes, contemplates
• आलोचयते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

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

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परम्: supreme, higher
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तथा: so, likewise
• तथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• बुद्धि-पथम्: the range/path of intellect
• बुद्धि-पथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परैति: goes, passes
• परैति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, एकवचन

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• buddhi (intellect)
• ātman (Self)
• boat
• trees (on the bank)
• lens (spectacles/telescope)
• mirror

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The Self is intrinsically changeless (kūṭastha), but due to the intellect’s modifications and association with body-mind, it is misperceived as changing and embodied. When the intellect is purified and made clear, it can reflect the Self’s true nature, enabling right discernment and progress toward moksha.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Shanti Parva’s instruction to Yudhishthira, Bhishma explains a philosophical point about mistaken perception: motion and magnification analogies illustrate how the mind/intellect can project change and grossness onto the subtle, immutable Self; he then adds the mirror analogy to show how a purified intellect can reveal the Self.