Shloka 48

श्रेयो-धर्मकर्मविचारः

Inquiry into Śreyas, Dharma, and Karma

Devanagari script

सप्तोत्तरं तत्र वसत्यनीश: संहारविक्षेपशतं सशेषम्‌ | तस्मादुपावृत्य मनुष्यलोके ततो महान्‌ मानुषतामुपैति

Transliteration

saptottaraṃ tatra vasaty anīśaḥ saṃhāra-vikṣepa-śataṃ saśeṣam | tasmād upāvṛtya manuṣya-loke tato mahān mānuṣatām upaiti ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：若有人于瑜伽修持尚未臻于圆熟，则彼将住于上界诸天，历经长达百次坏灭与再现之周期，而余业习气尚存。其后自彼处复还人间，得较前更具尊贵与才能之人身，携带残余印痕，继续趋向瑜伽之道的圆满。

Word by Word

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• उत्तरम्: additional; more
• उत्तरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• वसति: dwells
• वसति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वस्
• Form: present, 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• अनीशः: one who is powerless/unsuccessful (in yoga)
• अनीशः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनीश
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• संहार: of dissolution; of withdrawal
• संहार: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संहार
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• विक्षेप: of projection; of distraction
• विक्षेप: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विक्षेप
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• स: with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स

• शेषम्: remaining; residual
• शेषम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शेष
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• तस्मात्: from there/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: neuter, ablative, singular

• उपावृत्य: having returned
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-√वृत्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), active

• मनुष्यलोके: in the world of humans
• मनुष्यलोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्यलोक
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• ततः: then; thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• महान्: great; eminent
• महान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• मानुषताम्: human state; humanity (human embodiment)
• मानुषताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुषता
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• उपैति: attains; reaches
• उपैति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√इ
• Form: present, 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• manuṣya-loka (human world)
• higher lokas (upper worlds)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even if a practitioner fails to complete yoga, the effort is not wasted: he enjoys an elevated post-mortem state for a long duration, then returns to human life with enhanced capacity and status, carrying residual karmic impressions that support renewed spiritual progress.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction (Shanti Parva), he explains the post-death trajectory of a yoga-practitioner who is unable to finish the discipline: residence in higher worlds for an extended cosmic measure, followed by return to the human world in a more eminent birth, still bearing remaining karmic traces.