Shloka 18

अव्यक्त–व्यक्त–कारणकार्यविवेकः

Avyakta–Vyakta and Causality: Discrimination of Field and Knower

Devanagari script

अस्पर्शनमशृण्वानमनास्वादमदर्शनम्‌ । अप्राणमवितर्क च सत्त्वं प्रविशते परम्‌

Transliteration

asparśanam aśṛṇvānamanāsvādam adarśanam | aprāṇam avitarkaṃ ca sattvaṃ praviśate param, parabrahma paramātmā sparśa-śravaṇa-rasana-darśana-prāṇa-saṅkalpa-vikalpa-se bhī rahita hai; isaliye kevala viśuddha buddhi hī usameṃ praviśa kar pātī hai |

Translation

毗湿摩阐明：至上实相——至梵（Param Brahman）、至我（Paramātman）——超越触、闻、味、见之境界，亦超越寻常之气息运作与分别思量。故唯有清净明澈之智（sattva/śuddha buddhi），离于感官扰动与心念摇摆，方能入于彼最高原则而证知之。

Word by Word

• अस्पर्शनम्: non-contact; absence of touch
• अस्पर्शनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्पर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अशृण्वानम्: not hearing
• अशृण्वानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (शृणु)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle), Parasmaipada

• अनास्वादम्: non-tasting; absence of taste
• अनास्वादम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनास्वाद
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अदर्शनम्: non-seeing; absence of sight
• अदर्शनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अप्राणम्: without breath/life-force
• अप्राणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्राण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अवितर्कम्: without reasoning/deliberation
• अवितर्कम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवितर्क
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• सत्त्वम्: being; entity; essence
• सत्त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• प्रविशते: enters
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + विश्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• परम्: the supreme (state/reality)
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Parabrahman
• Paramatman

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The Supreme (Parabrahman/Paramatman) is not an object of the senses or of discursive thought; realization requires a purified, sattvic intellect that is free from sensory dependence and from saṅkalpa–vikalpa (mental wavering).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on liberation and right understanding, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira by describing the transcendence of the Supreme Self and the inner discipline—purification of mind/intellect—needed to realize it.