Shloka 24
बलीन्द्रसंवादः — Kāla, Anityatā, and the Limits of Agency
Mahābhārata 12.217
धृत्या देहान् धारयन्तो बुद्धिसंक्षिप्तचेतस: । स्थानेभ्यो ध्वंसमानाश्र सूक्ष्मत्वात् तदुपासते
bhīṣma uvāca | dhṛtyā dehān dhārayanto buddhisaṃkṣiptacetasaḥ | sthānebhyo dhvaṃsamānāśrāḥ sūkṣmatvāt tad upāsate ||
Bhishma dit : Certains yogins, affermis par la force intérieure, soutiennent le corps tout en retirant l’esprit—ramassé et affiné par le discernement—des objets des sens. Détachant leur appui des stations corporelles et sensorielles vouées à la ruine, et parce que leur intelligence est devenue subtile, ils vénèrent Cela : le Brahman suprême.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
True spiritual practice is described as sustaining embodied life with steadfastness while withdrawing the mind from sense-objects, abandoning reliance on perishable bodily-sensory supports, and turning subtle, refined intellect toward contemplation of Brahman.
In Bhishma’s instruction during the Shanti Parva, he characterizes a class of yogins: they practice inner withdrawal and concentration, detach from the sensory ‘stations’ that decay, and engage in worshipful contemplation of the Supreme Reality.