Shloka 86

मनुरुवाच — इन्द्रिय-मनः-ज्ञान-क्रमः

Manu on the hierarchy of senses, mind, and knowledge

Devanagari script

मार्गो तावप्युभावेतौ संश्रितौ न च संश्रितौ । उपनिषदोंके वाक्य निर्वत्ति (परमानन्द)

Transliteration

mārgo tāv apy ubhāv etau saṁśritau na ca saṁśritau |

Translation

Bhishma dit : «Ces deux voies peuvent être suivies avec appui (d’une discipline de soutien) et aussi sans cet appui. Les énoncés des Upanishad, à eux seuls, font connaître la réalisation de la Béatitude suprême, la paix et la fermeté en Brahman ; là, nul besoin de dépendre d’une répétition. Mais le Sāṅkhya et le Yoga enseignés par des sages à la vision égale, puisqu’ils aident à obtenir la connaissance par la purification du mental, peuvent recourir au japa (répétition disciplinée) et peuvent aussi progresser sans lui.»

Word by Word

• {'mārgaḥ': 'path

• spiritual way', 'tāv': 'those two

• both (in reference)', 'api': 'also

• even', 'ubhau': 'both (two)', 'etau': 'these two', 'saṁśritau': 'resorted to

• dependent upon', 'na ca': 'and not

• nor', 'upaniṣad-vākya': 'Upanishadic statements

• mahāvākyas conveying Brahman-knowledge', 'nirvṛtti': 'cessation

• final beatitude (here: realization culminating in supreme bliss)', 'paramānanda': 'supreme bliss', 'śānti': 'peace

• tranquility', 'brahma-niṣṭhatā': 'steadfast abidance in Brahman', 'bodha': 'knowledge

• understanding', 'samadarśin': 'one who sees equally

• impartial seer', 'muni': 'sage

• contemplative', 'sāṅkhya': 'path of discriminative knowledge/analysis', 'yoga': 'path of disciplined integration/meditation', 'citta-śuddhi': 'purification of the mind', 'jñāna-prāpti': 'attainment of knowledge', 'upakāraka': 'helpful

• conducive', 'japa': 'repetition (of mantra/name)

• disciplined recitation', 'āśraya': 'support

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Upanishads
• Sāṅkhya
• Yoga
• munis (sages)
• Brahman

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma explains that Sāṅkhya and Yoga are two valid approaches that can be practiced with auxiliary supports like japa or, in some cases, without them. Direct Upanishadic insight is presented as self-sufficient for awakening to supreme bliss, peace, and abiding in Brahman; whereas for many seekers, practices that purify the mind (including japa) can be valuable aids toward knowledge.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on liberation and right living, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira by comparing spiritual disciplines. He clarifies how different methods—Upanishadic wisdom, Sāṅkhya analysis, and Yogic practice—relate to one another and how supportive practices like japa may function as means for mental purification leading to realization.