Shloka 100

Adhyātma–Adhibhūta–Adhidaivata Correspondences and the Triguṇa Lakṣaṇas (Śānti-parva 301)

Devanagari script

सांख्या राजन्‌ महाप्राज्ञा गच्छन्ति परमां गतिम्‌ | ज्ञानेनानेन कौन्तेय तुल्यं ज्ञानं न विद्यते

Transliteration

sāṅkhyā rājan mahāprājñā gacchanti paramāṃ gatim | jñānenānena kaunteya tulyaṃ jñānaṃ na vidyate ||

Translation

毗湿摩言：“大王啊，奉行数论之大智者，得至上之归趣。昆蒂之子啊，无有任何知识可与此知识等同。”

Word by Word

• सांख्याः: Sankhya-followers (Sankhyas)
• सांख्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांख्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• महाप्राज्ञाः: greatly wise
• महाप्राज्ञाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाप्राज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• गच्छन्ति: go, attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• गतिम्: state, goal, course
• गतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• ज्ञानेन: by knowledge
• ज्ञानेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• कौन्तेय: O son of Kunti
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौन्तेय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तुल्यम्: equal, comparable
• तुल्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• विद्यते: exists, is found
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Rājan (the King—Yudhiṣṭhira implied)
• Kaunteya (son of Kuntī—Yudhiṣṭhira implied)
• Sāṅkhya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma elevates discriminative knowledge (jñāna) associated with Sāṅkhya as a direct means to the highest end (paramā gati), asserting that no other knowledge equals it in leading one to liberation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhishma instructs the post-war king (Yudhiṣṭhira) on dharma and the paths to peace and liberation; here he emphasizes that the wise who follow Sāṅkhya attain the supreme state through this knowledge.