Shloka 44
मनु-उपदेशः — भूत-उत्पत्ति, इन्द्रिय-निवृत्ति, तथा पर-स्वभाव-विवेकः
Manu’s Instruction on Elemental Origination, Sense-Withdrawal, and Discrimination of the Supreme Nature
आश्रयो नास्ति सत्त्वस्य क्षेत्रज्ञस्य च कश्षन | सत्त्वं मनः संसृजते न गुणान् वै कदाचन,बुद्धिका परमात्माके सिवा दूसरा कोई आश्रय नहीं है और क्षेत्रज्षका भी कोई दूसरा आश्रय नहीं है। बुद्धि मनसे ही घनिष्ठ सम्बन्ध रखती है। गुणोंके साथ उसका साक्षात् सम्पर्क कदापि नहीं होता
āśrayo nāsti sattvasya kṣetrajñasya ca kaścana | sattvaṁ manaḥ saṁsṛjate na guṇān vai kadācana ||
Bhīṣma said: For the inner being (sattva) there is no external support, and for the knower of the field (kṣetrajña) there is likewise no other refuge. The mind fashions and projects the states of sattva, but it never truly comes into direct contact with the guṇas. The teaching underscores inward self-reliance: liberation is not gained by clinging to outer props, but by discerning the witness-self apart from mental constructions and the play of qualities.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the true witness (kṣetrajña) and the inner principle (sattva) do not depend on external supports; what appears as inner states is constructed by mind, while the self remains distinct from the guṇas. Ethically, it points to steadiness and non-dependence: cultivate discernment (viveka) so one is not driven by shifting qualities and mental projections.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and the path to peace after the war. Here he turns to a philosophical explanation aligned with Sāṅkhya-style analysis, distinguishing the witnessing knower (kṣetrajña) from mind and the guṇas, to guide the king toward inner clarity and liberation-oriented conduct.