Shloka 19
एवमेवेन्द्रियग्रामं शनै: सम्परिभावयेत् । संहरेत् क्रमशश्नचैव स सम्यक् प्रशमिष्यति,जैसे धूलि, भस्म और सूखे गोबरके चूर्णकी अलग-अलग इकट्टी की हुई ढेरियोंपर जल छिड़का जाय तो वे सहसा जलसे भीगकर इतनी तरल नहीं हो सकतीं कि उनके द्वारा कोई आवश्यक कार्य किया जा सके; क्योंकि बार-बार भिगोये बिना वह सूखा चूर्ण थोड़ा-सा भीगता है, पूरा नहीं भीगता; परंतु उसको यदि बार-बार जल देकर क्रमसे भिगोया जाय तो धीरे-धीरे वह सब गीला हो जाता है, उसी प्रकार योगी विषयोंकी ओर बिखरी हुई इन्द्रियोंको धीरे-धीरे विषयोंकी ओरसे समेटे और चित्तको ध्यानके अभ्याससे क्रमशः स्नेहयुक्त बनावे। ऐसा करनेपर वह चित्त भलीभाँति शान्त हो जाता है
evamevendriyagrāmaṁ śanaiḥ samparibhāvayet | saṁharet kramaśaś caiva sa samyak praśamiṣyati ||
Bhīṣma said: “In just this way, one should steadily cultivate and refine the whole ‘community of the senses.’ One should draw them back little by little, in due sequence; then the mind becomes properly pacified. As dry dust, ash, or powdered dried dung does not at once become workable merely by a single sprinkling of water, but gradually becomes fully moistened only by repeated wetting, so too the yogin should slowly gather the senses that have scattered toward objects and, through repeated practice of meditation, make the mind supple and inward-turned. By such disciplined repetition, true calm is attained.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sense-control and mental peace are achieved gradually through repeated practice: withdraw the senses step by step from their objects and cultivate the mind through sustained meditation until it becomes properly pacified (praśama).
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Bhīṣma advises the listener that the senses, scattered outward, must be gathered back slowly; like dry powder that needs repeated wetting to become fully moist, the mind becomes calm only through steady, incremental practice.