Shloka 21

Śānti-parva 206: Guṇa-hetu Moha, Kāma-krodha Chain, Indriya-utpatti, and Nirodha

Devanagari script

विषयेषु च संसर्गाच्छा श्वतस्य च दर्शनात्‌ । मनसा चान्यदाकांक्षन्‌ परं न प्रतिपद्यते

Transliteration

viṣayeṣu ca saṃsargāc chāśvatasya ca darśanāt | manasā cānyad ākāṅkṣan paraṃ na pratipadyate ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「感官の対象に絶えず交わり、移ろうものを見つめるがゆえに、人は内奥で別のものを希求していても、至上に到達できない。触れ合いと見かけにより外へ引き出される心は、かすかに求める最高の目的に定まることができぬ。」

Word by Word

• विषयेषु: in sense-objects
• विषयेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• संसर्गात्: from contact/association
• संसर्गात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• श्वतस्य: of the dog
• श्वतस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वत
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• दर्शनात्: from seeing
• दर्शनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• मनसा: by/with the mind
• मनसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अन्यत्: something else
• अन्यत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आकाङ्क्षन्: desiring
• आकाङ्क्षन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + काङ्क्ष्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परम्: the highest (goal)
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• प्रतिपद्यते: attains/realizes
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + पद्
• Form: Lat (Present), Atmanepada, Third, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Attachment through repeated contact with sense-objects keeps the mind outward-turned; even if one vaguely yearns for a higher truth, one cannot realize the Supreme without withdrawing from habitual sensory entanglement and stabilizing the mind.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma continues his instruction on dharma and the path of inner peace, explaining why people fail to reach the highest goal: their minds remain bound to sensory association and to what they repeatedly perceive as desirable.