Shloka 28

अलर्कोपाख्यानम् — Indriya-Nigraha and Yogic Victory

Mahābhārata 14.30

Devanagari script

स एकाग्रं मन: कृत्वा निश्चलो योगमास्थित:,वे मनको एकाग्र करके स्थिर आसनसे बैठ गये और ध्यानयोगका साधन करने लगे। इस ध्यानयोगरूप एक ही बाणसे मारकर उन बलशाली नरेशने समस्त इन्द्रियोंको सहसा परास्त कर दिया। वे ध्यानयोगके द्वारा आत्मामें प्रवेश करके परम सिद्धि (मोक्ष)-को प्राप्त हो गये

Transliteration

sa ekāgraṃ manaḥ kṛtvā niścalo yogam āsthitaḥ | ekabāṇena yogena balavān sa narādhipaḥ || indriyāṇi samastāni sahasā paryajayad balī | dhyānayogena cātmānaṃ praviśya paramāṃ siddhiṃ mokṣaṃ prāpa ||

Translation

The Brahmin said: Having gathered his mind into one-pointed concentration, he sat unmoving, established in yoga. With this single arrow of meditative discipline, that mighty king swiftly conquered all his senses. Entering into the Self through dhyāna-yoga, he attained the highest perfection—liberation (mokṣa).

Word by Word

• {'ekāgram': 'one-pointed, concentrated (of the mind)', 'manaḥ kṛtvā': 'having made the mind (so), having composed the mind', 'niścalaḥ': 'motionless, steady', 'yogam āsthitaḥ': 'having taken refuge in yoga

• established in yogic practice', 'eka-bāṇa': 'a single arrow (metaphor for a single decisive means)', 'dhyāna-yoga': 'yoga of meditation

• contemplative discipline', 'indriyāṇi': 'the senses', 'samastāni': 'all, entire', 'sahasā': 'suddenly, swiftly', 'parājayad': 'he conquered, overcame', 'narādhipaḥ': 'king, lord of men', 'ātmānam praviśya': 'having entered into the Self

• turning inward to the ātman', 'paramā siddhiḥ': 'the supreme attainment/perfection', 'mokṣaḥ': 'liberation, release from saṃsāra'}

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (speaker)
• नराधिप (a king, unnamed here)
• इन्द्रियाणि (the senses)
• आत्मा/आत्मन् (the Self)
• मोक्ष (liberation)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True victory is inner: by one-pointed meditation and steadiness, one conquers the senses and realizes the Self, culminating in the highest goal—mokṣa.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin describes a powerful king who sits motionless in concentrated meditation, overcomes the pull of the senses through dhyāna-yoga, and attains final liberation.