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Shloka 23

मनु-उपदेशः — भूत-उत्पत्ति, इन्द्रिय-निवृत्ति, तथा पर-स्वभाव-विवेकः

Manu’s Instruction on Elemental Origination, Sense-Withdrawal, and Discrimination of the Supreme Nature

एवं नराणां मनसि त्रिषु भावेष्ववस्थिता

evaṁ narāṇāṁ manasi triṣu bhāveṣv avasthitā; sā bhāvātmikā buddhiḥ samādhi-avasthāyāṁ sukha-duḥkha-moha—etān trīn bhāvān laṅghayati; yathā saritāṁ svāmī samudraḥ uttāla-taraṅgaiḥ saṁyuktaḥ san svāṁ vipulāṁ taṭabhūmim api kadācid laṅghayati.

ビーシュマは言った。「かくして人の心の内に、それは三つの傾向として宿る。だがその傾向に形づくられた知性は、深い定(サマーディ)に入ると、楽・苦・迷い(モーハ)という三つを踏み越える。それは川々の主たる大海のごとく、天を衝く波を伴えば、ときに広大な汀をさえ越えてうねり出る。」

एवम्thus, in this manner
एवम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम्
नराणाम्of men, of humans
नराणाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootनर
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
मनसिin the mind
मनसि:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमनस्
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
त्रिषुin three
त्रिषु:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootत्रि
FormAll, Locative, Plural
भावेषुin states/conditions (feelings)
भावेषु:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootभाव
FormMasculine, Locative, Plural
अवस्थिताsituated, abiding
अवस्थिता:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअवस्था + √स्था
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma
M
mind (manas)
I
intellect (buddhi)
S
samadhi
O
ocean (samudra)
R
rivers (saritaḥ)
W
waves (taraṅga)
S
shore/bank (taṭa)

Educational Q&A

The verse teaches that although the mind commonly functions through three affective conditions—pleasure, pain, and delusion—the discriminative intellect can, in samādhi, transcend these fluctuations. Ethical steadiness arises when one is no longer driven by these inner tides.

Bhishma continues his instruction in the Shanti Parva by explaining the psychology of inner states and the possibility of surpassing them through meditative absorption, illustrating the point with a vivid image of the ocean overflowing its shores when stirred by great waves.