Shloka 23

Devanagari script

शममप्यत्र शंसन्ति विद्यारण्यविदो जना: । तदारण्यमभिप्रेत्य यथाधीरभिजायत,विद्या (ज्ञान)-के ही प्रभावसे ब्रह्मरूपी वनका स्वरूप समझमें आता है। इस बातको जाननेवाले मनुष्य इस वनमें प्रवेश करनेके उद्देश्यसे शम (मनोनिग्रह)-की ही प्रशंसा करते हैं, जिससे बुद्धि स्थिर होती है

Transliteration

śamam apy atra śaṃsanti vidyāraṇyavido janāḥ | tad āraṇyam abhipretya yathādhīr abhijāyate ||

Translation

Here, those who truly understand the ‘forest of knowledge’ also praise self-restraint. With the aim of entering that inner forest, one cultivates śama (control of the mind), by which the intellect becomes steady and fit to apprehend the nature of Brahman-like reality.

Word by Word

शमम्self-control, tranquility

अपिalso, even

अत्रhere, in this context

शंसन्तिpraise, commend

विद्या-अरण्य-विदःknowers of the 'forest of knowledge'

जनाःpeople

तत्that

अरण्यम्forest

अभिप्रेत्यhaving intended, aiming at

यथाso that, in such a way that

धीःintellect, understanding

अभिजायतेarises, is produced

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

ब्राह्मण (speaker)

व

विद्या (knowledge)

आ

आरण्य/अरण्य (forest, metaphorical)

श

शम (mental restraint)

ध

धी (intellect)

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that śama—mental restraint and inner calm—is essential for true knowledge. Those who understand the ‘forest of knowledge’ praise self-control because it stabilizes the intellect, making it capable of grasping the highest reality.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin speaker explains a spiritual principle using the metaphor of a forest: to ‘enter’ the forest of knowledge (the domain of Brahman-realization), one must cultivate śama, which gives steadiness and clarity to the mind and intellect.