Shloka 35

Haṃsa–Sādhya Saṃvāda: Satya, Dama, Kṣamā and the Discipline of Speech

Devanagari script

क्षौीमं च कुशचीरं च कौशेयं वल्कलानि च । आविकं चर्म च सम॑ यस्य स्यान्मुक्त एव सः,“जिसके लिये सनके वस्त्र, कुशके चीर, रेशमी वस्त्र, वलकल, ऊनी वस्त्र और मृगचर्म --सब समान हैं, वह भी मुक्त ही है”

Transliteration

kṣaumam ca kuśacīram ca kauśeyam valkalāni ca | āvikam carma ca samaṁ yasya syān mukta eva saḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“若有人视麻布、以俱舍草所制之衣、丝衣、树皮衣、毛织衣与兽皮皆无差别，内心不为外相之分别所动摇——此人确已解脱。”

Word by Word

• क्षौमम्: linen cloth
• क्षौमम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षौम
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• कुशचीरम्: a garment made of kuśa-grass
• कुशचीरम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुशचीर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• कौशेयम्: silk cloth
• कौशेयम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौशेय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वल्कलानि: bark-garments
• वल्कलानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्कल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

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

• आविकम्: woollen cloth
• आविकम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आविक
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• चर्म: hide, skin (leather)
• चर्म: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• समम्: equal, the same
• समम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• यस्य: of whom, for whom
• यस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• स्यात्: would be / is (in the sense of 'is regarded as')
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular

• मुक्तः: liberated, free
• मुक्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed, certainly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• kṣauma (linen cloth)
• kuśa-cīra (kuśa-grass garment)
• kauśeya (silk cloth)
• valkala (bark-cloth)
• āvika (woollen cloth)
• carma (animal-hide)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Liberation is indicated by equanimity and non-attachment: when a person regards luxurious and austere garments alike—without craving, pride, or aversion—he is truly free.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and the path toward peace and liberation. Here he characterizes the liberated person by inner sameness toward external conditions, using different kinds of clothing as examples.