Shloka 36
अध्याय ३३७ — ज्ञानमार्ग-वैविध्यप्रश्नः तथा व्यासस्य नारायणोद्भवकथा
Systems of Knowledge and Vyāsa’s Nārāyaṇa-Origin
नित्याज्जलिकृतान् ब्रह्म जपत: प्रागुदड्मुखान् । मानसो नाम स जपो जप्यते तैर्महात्मभि:,'वे प्रतिदिन ईशानकोणकी ओर मुँह करके हाथ जोड़े हुए ब्रह्मयका मानसजप करते थे
nityāj jalikṛtān brahma japataḥ prāg-udag-mukhān | mānaso nāma sa japo japyate tair mahātmabhiḥ ||
Setiap hari, dengan kedua tangan dirapatkan dalam sikap hormat dan menghadap ke arah timur-laut yang dianggap mujur, mereka melafalkan mantra Brahman. Ulangan itu disebut ‘japa mental’—japa yang hening dan ke dalam—yang dipraktikkan oleh para mahatma itu.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
True spiritual discipline can be inward: the verse highlights mānasa-japa—silent, mental repetition of a sacred formula—as a refined practice of devotion, marked by regularity, reverence (añjali), and mindful orientation.
Bhīṣma describes the daily religious practice of noble practitioners: they face the auspicious northeastern direction with joined hands and perform japa, emphasizing that their recitation is primarily mental (internal) rather than merely vocal.