Shloka 9
अव्यक्त–व्यक्त–कारणकार्यविवेकः
Avyakta–Vyakta and Causality: Discrimination of Field and Knower
प्रसृतैरिन्द्रियैर्द:खी तैरेव नियतै: सुखी । तस्मादिन्द्रियरूपेभ्यो यच्छेदात्मानमात्मना,विषयोंकी ओर इन्द्रियोंके फैले रहनेसे ही मनुष्य दुखी होता है और उन्हींको संयममें रखनेसे सुखी हो जाता है; इसलिये इन्द्रियोंके विषयोंसे बुद्धिके द्वारा अपने मनको रोकना चाहिये
prasṛtair indriyaiḥ duḥkhī tair eva niyataiḥ sukhī | tasmād indriyarūpebhyo yacched ātmānam ātmanā ||
Bhīṣma said: When the senses are allowed to roam outward toward their objects, a person becomes miserable; when those same senses are restrained, one becomes happy. Therefore, by one’s own inner self—through disciplined understanding—one should check the mind from the pull of sense-objects.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Happiness and suffering hinge on the same senses: when they run toward objects, they generate distress; when restrained, they yield peace. Hence one should use inner discipline and understanding to curb the mind’s outward pull.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira, emphasizing ethical psychology: mastery of the senses is presented as a practical foundation for well-being and spiritual progress.