Shloka 20

Akṣara–Kṣara Viveka: Vasiṣṭha–Karāla-Janaka Saṃvāda (अक्षर-क्षर विवेकः)

Devanagari script

सतोये<न्यत्‌ तु यत्‌ तोयं तस्मिन्नेव प्रसिच्यते । वृद्धे वृद्धिमवाप्रोति सलिले सलिलं यथा

Transliteration

satoye'nyat tu yat toyaṃ tasminneva prasicyate | vṛddhe vṛddhim avāpnoti salile salilaṃ yathā rājann |

Translation

帕罗沙罗说道：“大王啊，正如在已盛有水的器皿中再注入清水，器中之水与新水相融而增多；同样，先前积聚的功德，也会在以同样精神再行新的善业时增长。旧德与新德合而为一，由其合增之力，使人愈加功德充盈。”

Word by Word

• सतोये: in/into a water-containing (vessel)
• सतोये: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-तोय (तोयवत्)
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• अन्यत्: another (thing)
• अन्यत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• यत्: which/whatever
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• तस्मिन्: in that (vessel/thing)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• प्रसिच्यते: is poured (in)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सिच्
• Form: present, passive, 3rd, singular

• वृद्धे: when/where there is increase; in the increased (quantity)
• वृद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• वृद्धिम्: increase
• वृद्धिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• अवाप्नोति: attains/obtains
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (अव-आप्)
• Form: present, active, 3rd, singular

• सलिले: in water
• सलिले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• सलिलम्: water
• सलिलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

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

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

पराशर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• King (rājan)
• water (toya/salila)
• vessel/container (implied by the act of pouring into what already holds water)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Merit grows cumulatively: earlier virtuous actions are not replaced by later ones; rather, new good deeds merge with stored merit and increase it, like water added to water.

What is happening in the narrative?

Parāśara addresses a king and uses a simple physical analogy—pouring water into an already water-filled vessel—to explain how continued righteous conduct amplifies one’s accumulated virtue.