Shloka 33
Śakra–Namuci-saṃvāda: Śoka-nivāraṇa and Daiva-vicāra
Indra and Namuci on grief, composure, and inevitability
एवं त्वक्चक्षुषी जिह्नला नासिका चेति पठचमी । स्पर्शे रूपे रसे गन्धे तानि चेतो मनश्न॒ तत्
evaṁ tvak-cakṣuṣī jihvā nāsikā ceti pañcamī | sparśe rūpe rase gandhe tāni ceto manaś ca tat ||
Bhishma explique que, de même, la peau, les yeux, la langue et le nez—cinq au total—sont chacun fondés sur leur domaine d’expérience propre : le toucher, la forme, le goût et l’odeur. Pourtant, leur racine commune est le mental ; ainsi, toutes ces facultés sensorielles doivent être comprises, en dernier ressort, comme dépendantes du mental et façonnées par lui.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The senses operate in their respective domains (touch, form, taste, smell), but their functioning and direction depend on the mind; therefore, mastery of the mind is essential for ethical self-control and inner discipline.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation-oriented reflection, Bhishma continues a philosophical explanation of the human faculties, describing how the sense-organs relate to their objects and how the mind stands as their common cause and coordinator.