Shloka 11
Śarīrin, Buddhi, and the Limits of Sense-Perception (इन्द्रियबुद्धिशरीरिविचारः)
तस्य तत् पूर्वसंरुद्धमात्मन: षष्ठमान्तरम् । स्फुरिष्यति समुदशभ्रान्ता विद्युदम्बुधरे यथा
tasya tat pūrvasaṃruddham ātmanaḥ ṣaṣṭham antaram | sphuriṣyati samudaśabhrāntā vidyud ambudhare yathā ||
पूर्व प्रयत्न से इन्द्रियों सहित मन कुछ समय के लिए संयमित होकर स्थिर भी हो जाए, तो भी अवसर पाकर वह फिर भड़क उठता है—जैसे मेघ के भीतर बिजली सहसा चमक उठती है। उसी प्रकार मन बार-बार विषयों की ओर दौड़कर चंचल हो जाता है; इसलिए आत्मसंयम में सतत सावधानी और अभ्यास आवश्यक है।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Temporary restraint is not final victory: even a mind subdued by effort can surge back toward sense-objects when an opportunity arises. Therefore one must practice sustained vigilance (apramāda), repeated restraint, and steady discipline rather than trusting a brief calm.
In Bhishma’s instruction in the Śānti Parva, he explains the practical difficulty of inner governance. Using the image of lightning flashing in a cloud, he describes how the mind—counted as the ‘sixth’ alongside the five senses—can suddenly become active again after having been checked, and thus needs ongoing training.