Shloka 20
Adhyāya 272: Vṛtrasya Dharmiṣṭhatā, Indrasya Mohaḥ, Vasiṣṭha-upadeśaḥ
Vṛtra’s dharmic stature; Indra’s disorientation; Vasiṣṭha’s counsel
शब्दे स्पर्शे तथा रूपे न च भावयते मन: । विमुच्यते तदा कामान्न च धर्म विमुडचति
śabde sparśe tathā rūpe na ca bhāvayate manaḥ | vimucyate tadā kāmān na ca dharmaṃ vimuhyati ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Lorsque l’esprit ne s’attarde plus sur le son, le toucher et la forme, il se libère des désirs ; et dans cet état il n’est plus dans l’illusion au sujet du dharma. Cet enseignement vise la maîtrise intérieure : se défaire de la fixation aux sens relâche la convoitise, et la clarté quant à la conduite juste s’ensuit naturellement.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Non-indulgent attention toward sense-objects (sound, touch, form) leads to release from kāma (craving), and that inner freedom prevents confusion about dharma; ethical clarity is presented as a fruit of self-mastery.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and the disciplines that support it; here he emphasizes mental withdrawal from sense-objects as the basis for overcoming desire and maintaining right discernment.