Shloka 9
Prahlāda–Indra Saṃvāda: Kartṛtva (Agency) and Svabhāva (Nature) in the Causation of Karma
अथामोघप्रयत्नेन मनो ज्ञाने निवेशयेत् । वाचामोघप्रयासेन मनोज्ञं तत् प्रवर्तते
athāmogha-prayatnena mano jñāne niveśayet | vācāmogha-prayāsena mano-jñaṃ tat pravartate ||
Bhīṣma said: “With effort that does not go to waste, one should place the mind in true knowledge. And with speech whose striving is not futile, one should set in motion what is pleasing and beneficial to the mind.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Direct the mind toward jñāna through steady, effective effort, and use speech purposefully so that one’s words promote what is mentally wholesome and conducive to inner steadiness.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and inner governance after the war; here he emphasizes disciplined mental focus on knowledge and restrained, meaningful speech as practical tools for ethical living.