Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 109

नारद–शुक संवादः

Impermanence, Svabhāva, and Śuka’s Resolve for Yoga

एतन्मया<5<प्तं जनकात्‌ पुरस्तात्‌ तेनापि चाप्तं नृप याज्ञवल्क्यात्‌ । ज्ञानं विशिष्ट न तथा हि यज्ञा ज्ञानेन दुर्ग तरते न यज्ञै:

etan mayā prāptaṃ janakāt purastāt tenāpi cāptaṃ nṛpa yājñavalkyāt | jñānaṃ viśiṣṭaṃ na tathā hi yajñā jñānena durgaṃ tarate na yajñaiḥ yudhiṣṭhira ||

毗湿摩说:“此教法,我昔日从阇那迦王处得来;而阇那迦王,陛下,又从圣者耶若那伐迦处受得。知识(智,jñāna)为至上之道;诸祭祀(yajña)不能与之比肩。唯以智慧,方能渡越这难渡的世间生死之海——非以祭祀。”

एतत्this (knowledge/teaching)
एतत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
मयाby me
मया:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
Form—, Instrumental, Singular
आप्तम्obtained/received
आप्तम्:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootआप् (धातु) → आप्त (कृदन्त)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)
जनकात्from (King) Janaka
जनकात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootजनक
FormMasculine, Ablative, Singular
पुरस्तात्formerly/earlier
पुरस्तात्:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुरस्तात्
तेनby him (Janaka)
तेन:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular
अपिalso
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
आप्तम्obtained/received
आप्तम्:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootआप् (धातु) → आप्त (कृदन्त)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)
नृपO king
नृप:
TypeNoun
Rootनृप
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
याज्ञवल्क्यात्from Yājñavalkya
याज्ञवल्क्यात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootयाज्ञवल्क्य
FormMasculine, Ablative, Singular
ज्ञानम्knowledge
ज्ञानम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootज्ञान
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
विशिष्टम्excellent/superior
विशिष्टम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootविशिष्ट
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
तथाthus/so; equally
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
हिindeed/for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
यज्ञाःsacrifices
यज्ञाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootयज्ञ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
ज्ञानेनby/through knowledge
ज्ञानेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootज्ञान
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
दुर्गम्the difficult (passage); hard-to-cross (world)
दुर्गम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootदुर्ग
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
तरतेcrosses (over)
तरते:
TypeVerb
Rootतॄ
FormPresent, Indicative, Atmanepada, Third, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
यज्ञैःby sacrifices
यज्ञैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootयज्ञ
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira
युधिष्ठिर:
TypeNoun
Rootयुधिष्ठिर
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
Y
Yudhiṣṭhira
J
Janaka
Y
Yājñavalkya

Educational Q&A

Bhīṣma asserts the primacy of jñāna (spiritual knowledge) over yajña (ritual sacrifice): liberation from saṃsāra is achieved through insight and realization, not merely through ritual action, however meritorious.

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīṣma cites a lineage of transmission—Yājñavalkya to King Janaka to himself—to authorize the teaching, then emphasizes that this inherited wisdom places knowledge above sacrificial rites as the means to cross the difficult worldly ocean.