Shloka 24

Śānti-parva 206: Guṇa-hetu Moha, Kāma-krodha Chain, Indriya-utpatti, and Nirodha

Devanagari script

सूक्ष्मेण मनसा विद्यो वाचा वक्तुंन शकक्‍्नुम: । मनो हि मनसा ग्राहां दर्शनेन च दर्शनम्‌,हम ध्यानद्वारा शुद्ध और सूक्ष्म हुए मनसे परमात्माके स्वरूपका अनुभव तो कर सकते हैं, किंतु वाणीद्वारा उसका वर्णन नहीं कर सकते; क्योंकि मनके द्वारा ही मानसिक विषयका ग्रहण हो सकता है और ज्ञानके द्वारा ही ज्ञेयको जाना जा सकता है

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | sūkṣmeṇa manasā vidyo vācā vaktuṃ na śaknumaḥ | mano hi manasā grāhyaṃ darśanena ca darśanam |

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: Mit einem Geist, der durch Läuterung zu subtiler Reinheit geworden ist, können wir die höchste Wirklichkeit unmittelbar erfassen; doch vermögen wir Sie nicht durch Worte auszudrücken. Denn die Gegenstände des Geistes werden nur vom Geist ergriffen, und das Schauen (unmittelbares Sehen) wird nur durch das Schauen selbst erkannt.

Word by Word

• {'sūkṣmeṇa': 'by the subtle (refined, minute) means

• with subtlety', 'manasā': 'by the mind

• with the mind (instrumental)', 'vidyaḥ/vidyo': 'the wise

• those who know (context: knowers of truth)', 'vācā': 'by speech

• through words', 'vaktum': 'to speak

• to describe', 'na śaknumaḥ': 'we are not able

• we cannot', 'manaḥ': 'mind', 'hi': 'indeed

• for', 'manasā grāhyam': 'graspable only by the mind

• apprehended through mind alone', 'darśanena': 'by seeing

• by direct perception/vision', 'darśanam': 'seeing

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ultimate reality is directly realizable through a purified, subtle mind, but it cannot be adequately captured in words; inner experience is known only by the corresponding inner faculty.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, Bhishma continues teaching about higher knowledge, emphasizing that the Supreme is approached through inner refinement and direct realization rather than verbal description.