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Shloka 18

अव्यक्त–व्यक्त–कारणकार्यविवेकः

Avyakta–Vyakta and Causality: Discrimination of Field and Knower

अस्पर्शनमशृण्वानमनास्वादमदर्शनम्‌ । अप्राणमवितर्क च सत्त्वं प्रविशते परम्‌

asparśanam aśṛṇvānamanāsvādam adarśanam | aprāṇam avitarkaṃ ca sattvaṃ praviśate param, parabrahma paramātmā sparśa-śravaṇa-rasana-darśana-prāṇa-saṅkalpa-vikalpa-se bhī rahita hai; isaliye kevala viśuddha buddhi hī usameṃ praviśa kar pātī hai |

Bhishma explique que la Réalité suprême—Param Brahman, le Paramātman—se tient au-delà de la portée du toucher, de l’ouïe, du goût et de la vue, et au-delà aussi des opérations ordinaires du souffle et de la pensée discursive. C’est pourquoi seule une intelligence purifiée et limpide (sattva/śuddha buddhi), affranchie de l’agitation des sens et des oscillations de l’esprit, peut entrer en ce principe suprême et le réaliser.

अस्पर्शनम्non-contact; absence of touch
अस्पर्शनम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअस्पर्शन
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
अशृण्वानम्not hearing
अशृण्वानम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootश्रु (शृणु)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle), Parasmaipada
अनास्वादम्non-tasting; absence of taste
अनास्वादम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअनास्वाद
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
अदर्शनम्non-seeing; absence of sight
अदर्शनम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअदर्शन
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
अप्राणम्without breath/life-force
अप्राणम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअप्राण
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
अवितर्कम्without reasoning/deliberation
अवितर्कम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअवितर्क
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
सत्त्वम्being; entity; essence
सत्त्वम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसत्त्व
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
प्रविशतेenters
प्रविशते:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र + विश्
FormPresent (Lat), Third, Singular, Atmanepada
परम्the supreme (state/reality)
परम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootपर
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma
P
Parabrahman
P
Paramatman

Educational Q&A

The Supreme (Parabrahman/Paramatman) is not an object of the senses or of discursive thought; realization requires a purified, sattvic intellect that is free from sensory dependence and from saṅkalpa–vikalpa (mental wavering).

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on liberation and right understanding, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira by describing the transcendence of the Supreme Self and the inner discipline—purification of mind/intellect—needed to realize it.