Shloka 7

तुलाधार-उपदेशः

Tulādhāra’s Instruction to Jājali on Ahiṃsā and Abhaya-dāna

Devanagari script

आकाश स्य गुण: शब्दो व्यापित्वं च्छिद्रतापि च | अनाश्रयमनालम्बमव्यक्तमविकारिता

Transliteration

ākāśasya guṇaḥ śabdo vyāpitvaṃ cchidratāpi ca | anāśrayam anālambam avyaktaṃ avikāritā ||

Translation

毗湿摩阐明阿迦舍（以太/虚空）的界定之性：其特相为“声”；遍一切处而具“孔隙”，能容纳万有之“空间”。它不依任何粗重之所托，亦不凭他基而立；于凡夫常识之觉受中不显；而其体性大抵不变。由此，他在《寂静品》中继续以条理分明之法，系统列举五大之德相，作为伦理与哲思的训诲，使人明了真实而养成辨别之智。

Word by Word

• आकाशस्य: of ether/space
• आकाशस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• गुणः: quality/attribute
• गुणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शब्दः: sound
• शब्दः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• व्यापित्वम्: pervasiveness
• व्यापित्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यापित्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• छिद्रता: porosity/being full of apertures
• छिद्रता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: छिद्रता
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

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

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

• अनाश्रयम्: having no support/substratum
• अनाश्रयम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनाश्रय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अनालम्बम्: not resting on another base
• अनालम्बम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनालम्ब
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अव्यक्तम्: unmanifest/imperceptible
• अव्यक्तम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यक्त
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अविकारिता: unchangeability
• अविकारिता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविकारिता
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• ākāśa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches a Sāṅkhya-style discernment of reality by defining ākāśa through its characteristic qualities—especially sound and pervasiveness—so that one can distinguish subtle principles from gross, changing phenomena and thereby cultivate clarity in dharma-oriented living.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s post-war instruction, Bhishma is teaching Yudhishthira philosophical foundations. Here he continues the structured listing of the mahābhūtas (great elements) and their properties, focusing on the attributes of ākāśa.