Shloka 32

Adhyāya 240: Indriya–Manas–Buddhi–Ātman — The Inner Hierarchy and Restraint (इन्द्रिय-मनस्-बुद्धि-आत्म-क्रमः)

Devanagari script

एवं स्वस्थात्मन: साधो: सर्वत्र समदर्शिन: । षण्मासान्नित्ययुक्तस्य शब्दब्रह्मातिवर्तते,सत्त्वसंसेवनाद धीरो निद्रामुच्छेत्तुमरहति । विद्वानोंने योगके जो काम, क्रोध, लोभ, भय और पाँचवाँ स्वप्र--ये पाँच दोष बताये हैं उनका पूर्णतया उच्छेद करे। इनमेंसे क्रोधको शम (मनोनिग्रह) के द्वारा जीते, कामको संकल्पके त्यागद्वारा पराजित करे तथा धीर पुरुष सत्वगुणका सेवन करनेसे निद्राका उच्छेद कर सकता है इस प्रकार स्वस्थचित्त और सर्वत्र समदर्शी रहकर कर्मफलका उल्लंघन करके छः महीनेतक नित्य योगाभ्यास करनेवाला श्रेष्ठ योगी वेदोक्त परब्रह्म परमात्माका साक्षात्कार कर लेता है

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | evaṁ svasthātmanāḥ sādhoḥ sarvatra samadarśinaḥ | ṣaṇmāsān nityayuktasya śabdabrahmātivartate, sattvasaṁsevanād dhīro nidrām ucchettum arhati |

Translation

Vyāsa said: Thus, for the virtuous person whose self is steady and who looks upon all situations with equal vision, one who remains constantly disciplined in yoga for six months transcends mere ‘verbal Brahman’—the level of sacred sound and scriptural formulation. By cultivating sattva, the steadfast practitioner becomes fit to cut off sleep (torpor and heedlessness). In this way, abiding in inner health and impartiality, and rising beyond attachment to the fruits of action, the accomplished yogin comes to direct realization of the supreme Brahman spoken of in the Vedas.

Word by Word

एवम्thus

स्वस्थात्मनःof one whose self/mind is steady

साधोःof the good man/saint

सर्वत्रeverywhere

समदर्शिनःof one who sees equally (impartial seer)

षण्मासान्six months (as a duration)

नित्ययुक्तस्यof one constantly engaged/steadfast

शब्दब्रह्मthe Brahman as sound (Veda)

अतिवर्ततेtranscends/goes beyond

सत्त्वसंसेवनात्from/by the practice of sattva (purity)

धीरोthe steadfast man

निद्राम्sleep

उच्छेत्तुम्to cut off/destroy

अर्हतिis able/deserves

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Brahman (śabda-brahman)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Steady-minded equanimity and constant yogic discipline, supported by cultivating sattva, enables a practitioner to overcome dullness (symbolized by sleep) and to move beyond merely scriptural/verbal knowledge (śabda-brahman) toward direct realization of the supreme Brahman.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa continues an instructional passage in Śānti Parva, describing the marks and method of an accomplished yogin: equal vision in all contexts, sustained practice for a defined period, and inner purification through sattva, culminating in transcendence of purely textual learning and attainment of realization.