Shloka 73
Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
पृथिवी वायुराकाशमापो ज्योतिश्न पठचमम् । बुद्धिरात्मा मन: कालो दिशश्वैव गुणा दश
pṛthivī vāyur ākāśam āpo jyotiś ca pañcamam | buddhir ātmā manaḥ kālo diśaś caiva guṇā daśa ||
Bhishma dijo: «Tierra, viento, espacio, agua y la luz como quinta; luego el intelecto, el Sí mismo, la mente, el tiempo y las direcciones: éstos son los diez “principios testigos”. Siempre presentes en los seres encarnados, observan las acciones meritorias y las pecaminosas de cada cual».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
No deed is truly hidden: the cosmos and the inner faculties function as constant witnesses. This frames ethics as accountability before both the world (elements, directions, time) and oneself (mind, intellect, self).
Bhishma, instructing on dharma, enumerates ten ever-present principles—cosmic elements and inner faculties—described as observing the merit and sin of embodied beings, reinforcing the seriousness of righteous conduct.