Shloka 8

Prahlāda–Indra Saṃvāda: Kartṛtva (Agency) and Svabhāva (Nature) in the Causation of Karma

Devanagari script

तस्मात्‌ समाहित बुद्धया मनो भूतेषु धारयेत्‌ । नापध्यायेन्न स्पृहयेन्नाबद्धं चिन्तयेदसत्‌

Transliteration

tasmāt samāhita-buddhyā mano bhūteṣu dhārayet | nāpadhyāyen na spṛhayen nābaddhaṁ cintayed asat ||

Translation

અતએવ સમાહિત બુદ્ધિથી મનને સર્વ ભૂતો પ્રત્યે સંયમિત રાખવું. હાનિકારક ચિંતનમાં ન પડવું, સ્પૃહા ન રાખવી, અને અસત્ય-અસાર, આધારવિહિન વિષયોનું ચિંતન ન કરવું.

Word by Word

तस्मात्therefore/from that

समाहितcollected, composed

बुद्धयाwith (one's) intellect

मनःmind

भूतेषुin beings/among creatures

धारयेत्should hold/fix (it)

नnot

अपध्यायेत्should not meditate wrongly/should not brood (ill)

नnor/not

स्पृहयेत्should not desire/long for

नnor/not

अबद्धम्unconnected, ungrounded

चिन्तयेत्should not think/ponder

असत्the unreal/false (thing)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Cultivate a steady, collected intellect and discipline the mind: keep it settled with regard to beings, avoid harmful brooding, avoid craving, and do not chase unreal or unfounded thoughts.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and the means to peace after the war; here he emphasizes inner governance—mental restraint and clarity—as essential to ethical living.