Shloka 16

Śarīrin, Buddhi, and the Limits of Sense-Perception (इन्द्रियबुद्धिशरीरिविचारः)

Devanagari script

मनसा क्लिश्यमानस्तु समाधानं च कारयेत्‌ । न निर्वेद॑ मुनिर्गच्छेत्‌ कुयादिवात्मनो हितम्‌

Transliteration

manasā kliśyamānas tu samādhānaṃ ca kārayet | na nirvedaṃ munir gacchet kuryād iva ātmano hitam ||

Translation

ビーシュマは語った。「たとえ心が苦しみに苛まれ張りつめていても、なおそれを安定へと導き、定を養うべきである。牟尼は厭世や落胆に沈んではならない。むしろ自らの真の安寧のためにのみ行い、内なる善へ至る修行を堅く続けよ。」

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'manasā', 'definition': 'with/in the mind

• mentally (instrumental of manas)'}, {'term': 'kliśyamānaḥ', 'definition': 'being troubled, afflicted, strained (present passive participle of √kliś)'}, {'term': 'tu', 'definition': 'but

• indeed (emphatic/contrastive particle)'}, {'term': 'samādhānam', 'definition': 'settling, composure

• concentration, collectedness (samādhi in the sense of mental steadiness)'}, {'term': 'kārayet', 'definition': 'should cause to be done

• should bring about, should cultivate (causative optative of √kṛ)'}, {'term': 'na', 'definition': 'not'}, {'term': 'nirvedam', 'definition': 'dejection, disgust, despair

• loss of heart'}, {'term': 'muniḥ', 'definition': 'sage

• contemplative practitioner'}, {'term': 'gacchet', 'definition': 'should go to

• should fall into (optative of √gam)'}, {'term': 'kuryāt', 'definition': 'should do

• should undertake (optative of √kṛ)'}, {'term': 'iva', 'definition': 'as if

• indeed (often softening or emphasizing the statement)'}, {'term': 'ātmanaḥ', 'definition': 'of oneself

• of the self (genitive of ātman)'}, {'term': 'hitam', 'definition': 'benefit, welfare, true good'}]

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• muni (sage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When meditation becomes difficult and the mind feels pained or restless, one should not give up in discouragement; instead, one should deliberately re-establish composure and continue the practice that leads to one’s true welfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Bhishma advises the listener that spiritual practice requires endurance: even under mental strain, the practitioner should renew concentration and avoid despair.