Shloka 24
मनु-उपदेशः — भूत-उत्पत्ति, इन्द्रिय-निवृत्ति, तथा पर-स्वभाव-विवेकः
Manu’s Instruction on Elemental Origination, Sense-Withdrawal, and Discrimination of the Supreme Nature
सेयं भावात्मिका भावांस्त्रीनेतानतिवर्तते । सरितां सागरो भर्ता महावेलामिवोर्मिमान्
seyaṁ bhāvātmikā bhāvāṁs trīn etān ativartate | saritāṁ sāgaro bhartā mahāvelām ivormimān ||
Bhishma dit : Cet intellect, dont la nature même est faite d’états mentaux, transcende pourtant ces trois états. De même que l’océan —seigneur et soutien des fleuves—, bien qu’empli de vagues déferlantes, franchit parfois son grand rivage, ainsi, dans l’absorption profonde, l’intelligence née du mental s’élève au-delà du plaisir, de la douleur et de l’illusion.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even though the intellect (buddhi) operates through mental states, in profound concentration it can transcend the triad of pleasure, pain, and delusion. The verse points to inner freedom: ethical steadiness arises when one is not compelled by these shifting experiences.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Bhishma explains to Yudhishthira how the mind and intellect can rise beyond ordinary emotional conditions. He illustrates this with a natural image: the ocean, though wave-tossed, can overflow its own boundary—likewise the awakened intellect can surpass its usual limits.