Shloka 9

इन्द्र–बलि संवादः

The Dialogue of Indra and Bali on Fortune, Humility, and Restraint

Devanagari script

गुणानामपि यद्येतत्‌ कर्मणा चाप्युपस्थितम्‌ । तत्‌ तत्‌ शंसन्ति भूतानि मनो यद्धावितं यथा

Transliteration

guṇānām api yady etat karmaṇā cāpy upasthitam | tat tat śaṃsanti bhūtāni mano yad dhāvitaṃ yathā ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：即便在诸德性（guṇa）之中亦然：当因自身业行而生起某一倾向——或清净（sattva）、或激动（rajas）、或昏暗（tamas）——众生便随之显现。心如何被业所驱使、所熏染，梦中诸微细元素便呈现与之相应的形相。故梦里所见之形，皆随心受三德与诸行所染而定。

Word by Word

• गुणानाम्: of the qualities (gunas)
• गुणानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• कर्मणा: by/through action
• कर्मणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• उपस्थितम्: present/occurred/come about
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-स्था
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तत्: that (accordingly)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शंसन्ति: they declare/praise/tell
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• भूतानि: beings/creatures/elements
• भूतानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• यत्: which/that (relative)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• भावितम्: impressed/conditioned (made to be)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (भावयति caus.)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• यथा: as/just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas)
• mind (manas)
• karma (action)
• bhutas (beings/elements)
• dream (svapna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dream-experiences and inner perceptions reflect the mind’s conditioning: actions (karma) and the dominant guṇa (sattva/rajas/tamas) impress the mind, and corresponding forms are manifested in subtle experience such as dreams.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction, Bhīṣma explains to the listener how mental impressions arise: depending on the guṇas activated by one’s deeds, the mind is driven in certain patterns, and those patterns appear as specific forms in dream.