Shloka 41

अव्यक्त-गुण-पुरुषविवेकः | Avyakta, Guṇas, and Discrimination of Puruṣa

Devanagari script

निरयाच्चापि मानुष्यं कालेनैष्याम्यहं पुन: । मनुष्यत्वाच्च देवत्वं देवत्वात्‌ पौरुषं पुन:

Transliteration

nirayāc cāpi mānuṣyaṁ kālenaiṣyāmy ahaṁ punaḥ | manuṣyatvāc ca devatvaṁ devatvāt pauruṣaṁ punaḥ ||

Translation

婆悉吒说道：“即便从地狱，时日既至，我也将再返人间而得人身。由人身凭福德之果可至天界为天；而从天身，当福尽之时，又复归于人身。”

Word by Word

• निरयात्: from hell
• निरयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरय
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

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

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• मानुष्यं: human state/condition (human birth)
• मानुष्यं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कालेन: in due course/with time
• कालेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• एष्यामि: I shall go/attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (एष्य- भविष्यत्)
• Form: Future (Simple Future/लृट्), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अहं: I
• अहं: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• मनुष्यत्वात्: from human-ness/from human birth
• मनुष्यत्वात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्यत्व
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

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

• देवत्वं: godhood/divine state
• देवत्वं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवत्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• देवत्वात्: from godhood/from the divine state
• देवत्वात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवत्व
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• पौरुषं: manhood/human state
• पौरुषं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौरुष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Niraya (Naraka/hell)
• Manuṣya-loka (implied human realm)
• Deva-loka (implied realm of the gods)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches the cyclical movement of beings through realms according to karma: suffering states like hell are not eternal; merit can elevate one to divine realms, but even heaven is temporary—when merit is exhausted, one returns to human birth. Ethical effort in human life is therefore crucial.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha is explaining the post-mortem trajectory of the self: after experiencing the results of wrongdoing in niraya, one returns to human life; through righteous conduct and accumulated merit one may reach deva-status; and after the depletion of that merit, one is reborn again among humans.