Shloka 22

मनुरुवाच — इन्द्रिय-मनः-ज्ञान-क्रमः

Manu on the hierarchy of senses, mind, and knowledge

Devanagari script

अथवा नेच्छते तत्र ब्रह्मकायनिषेवणम्‌ । उत्क्रामति च मार्गस्थो नैव क्वचन जायते

Transliteration

athavā necchate tatra brahmakāyaniṣevaṇam | utkrāmati ca mārgastho naiva kvacana jāyate ||

Translation

ಅಥವಾ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಅವನು ‘ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಕಾಯ’ದೊಂದಿಗೆ ಮುಂದುವರಿಯುವ ಸಂಬಂಧವನ್ನು ಬಯಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ನಿರ್ಗಮನಮಾರ್ಗದಲ್ಲೇ ನಿಂತು ದೇಹದಿಂದ ಹೊರಟುಹೋಗುತ್ತಾನೆ; ಮತ್ತೆ ಎಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಜನಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.

Word by Word

अथवाor else

नnot

इच्छतेdesires

तत्रthere; in that state/place

ब्रह्मकायनिषेवणम्resorting to/association with the Brahma-body (brahma-kāya)

उत्क्रामतिdeparts; goes forth (from the body)

चand

मार्गस्थःbeing on the path; en route

नnot

एवindeed; at all

क्वचनanywhere; ever

जायतेis born; arises

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Freedom from rebirth comes when the desire to continue embodied existence—even in subtle or exalted forms—is absent; then, at death, one departs and does not take birth again.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is instructing on the fate of a spiritually accomplished person: at the time of departure, having no longing for continued embodiment, he leaves the body and is not reborn.