Shloka 20

Devanagari script

स्पर्शनं स्पर्शती स्पर्शान्‌ बुद्धिर्विक्रियतेडसकृत्‌ । यदा प्रार्थयते किज्चित्‌ तदा भवति सा मनः

Transliteration

sparśanaṁ sparśatī sparśān buddhir vikriyate 'sakṛt | yadā prārthayate kiñcit tadā bhavati sā manaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Berührung (sparśa) berührt die Sinneskontakte, und die Einsicht (buddhi) wird immer wieder verändert und aufgewühlt. Wenn eben dieselbe Kraft zu begehren oder nach etwas zu verlangen beginnt, dann wird sie zum ‚Geist‘ (manas) — zum Impuls, der fragt, wählt und den Objekten nachläuft.“

Word by Word

स्पर्शनम्touch (the act/sense of touching)

स्पर्शतिtouches

स्पर्शान्objects of touch / contacts

बुद्धिःintellect

विक्रियतेis modified / undergoes change

असकृत्repeatedly, again and again

यदाwhen

प्रार्थयतेdesires / requests / seeks

किञ्चित्something, anything

तदाthen

भवतिbecomes

साthat (she/it), that very (intellect)

मनःmind

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse distinguishes buddhi (discriminative intellect) from manas (desiring mind): sensory contact repeatedly perturbs the intellect, and when the inner faculty starts craving or petitioning for an object, it functions as ‘mind’. Ethical self-mastery begins by noticing this shift from discernment to desire.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and inner discipline. Here he explains how sense-contact agitates the inner faculties and how desire converts clear discernment into restless mind, supporting teachings on restraint and renunciation.