Shloka 20
Adhyāya 240: Indriya–Manas–Buddhi–Ātman — The Inner Hierarchy and Restraint (इन्द्रिय-मनस्-बुद्धि-आत्म-क्रमः)
सर्वस्तत्र स सर्वत्र व्यापकत्वाच्च दृश्यते
sarvas tatra sa sarvatra vyāpakatvāc ca dṛśyate, sattva-saṁsevanād dhīro nidrām ucchettum arhati | vidvān yogake jo kāma, krodha, lobha, bhaya aura pañcamaḥ svapna—ime pañca doṣāḥ—uktāḥ, teṣāṁ pūrṇatayā ucchedaṁ kuryāt | eṣu krodhaṁ śamena (mano-nigrahena) jayet, kāmaṁ saṅkalpa-tyāgena parājayet, tathā dhīraḥ sattva-guṇa-sevanena nidrāyā ucchedaṁ kartum śaknoti | sarvaṁ tasmin ātmani dṛśyate, vyāpakatvāt sa ātmā sarveṣu dṛśyate | ye mahātmānaḥ brāhmaṇāḥ manīṣiṇaḥ mahājñāninaḥ dhairyavantaḥ sarva-prāṇi-hite tatparāḥ, te eva tasya paramātmano darśanaṁ prāpnuvanti ||
Vyāsa said: That Self is seen there and everywhere; because it pervades all, it is perceived in all beings. A steadfast person, by cultivating sattva, is fit to cut off sleep. The wise declare five faults that obstruct yoga—desire, anger, greed, fear, and as the fifth, dreaming; one should uproot them completely. Among these, one should conquer anger by calm restraint of the mind, overcome desire by abandoning compulsive resolve, and the steady-minded can end sleepiness through the practice of sattva. All things become visible in that Self, and because it is all-pervading, that Self is seen in everyone. Only those great-souled brahmins—reflective, supremely learned, patient, and devoted to the welfare of all creatures—attain the vision of the Supreme Self.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
To realize the all-pervading Self, a seeker should remove key yogic obstacles—desire, anger, greed, fear, and dream-bound distraction—by mental restraint (śama), renouncing compulsive intention (saṅkalpa-tyāga), and cultivating sattva; only the wise, patient, and universally benevolent attain vision of the Supreme Self.
Vyāsa instructs on inner discipline in the Śānti Parva context: he explains how the Self is perceived everywhere due to its pervasiveness and prescribes practical methods to overcome mental faults that block yogic insight, concluding that only certain spiritually qualified sages can truly behold the Paramātman.