Shloka 1

मनु-उपदेशः — भूत-उत्पत्ति, इन्द्रिय-निवृत्ति, तथा पर-स्वभाव-विवेकः

Manu’s Instruction on Elemental Origination, Sense-Withdrawal, and Discrimination of the Supreme Nature

Devanagari script

7-2 ड-ऑ का - तात्पर्य यह कि भोजनके लिये जाते समय तत्काल हाथ

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: adhyātma nāma yad idaṃ puruṣasyeha cintyate | yad adhyātmaṃ yathā caitat tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira dit : « Grand-père, je t’en prie, dis-moi ce que l’on entend ici par “adhyātma”, cette réalité intérieure que l’on contemple en rapport avec l’être humain ; explique-moi ce qu’elle est véritablement et comment il faut la comprendre. »

Word by Word

• {'yudhiṣṭhira uvāca': 'Yudhiṣṭhira said', 'adhyātma': 'the inner self

• pertaining to the Self', 'nāma': 'called

• by the name of', 'yat': 'that which

• what', 'idam': 'this', 'puruṣasya': 'of a person

• of the embodied being', 'iha': 'here (in this context/world)', 'cintyate': 'is thought about

• is reflected upon', 'yad adhyātmam': 'what (exactly) is adhyātma', 'yathā': 'how

• in what manner', 'ca': 'and', 'etat': 'this (matter/teaching)', 'tat': 'that', 'me': 'to me', 'brūhi': 'tell

• explain', 'pitāmaha': 'grandfather (Bhīṣma)'}

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse introduces an inquiry into adhyātma—inner or spiritual knowledge—framing it as something to be contemplated with respect to the human person, and requesting a clear definition and method of understanding from an authoritative elder.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira approaches Bhīṣma as a teacher and asks him to explain the doctrine of adhyātma: what it is and how it should be comprehended.