Shloka 21
Adhyāya 240: Indriya–Manas–Buddhi–Ātman — The Inner Hierarchy and Restraint (इन्द्रिय-मनस्-बुद्धि-आत्म-क्रमः)
त॑ पश्यन्ति महात्मानो ब्राह्मणा ये मनीषिण: । धृतिमन्तो महाप्राज्ञा: सर्वभूतहिते रता:
taṁ paśyanti mahātmāno brāhmaṇā ye manīṣiṇaḥ | dhṛtimanto mahāprājñāḥ sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ | sattvasaṁsevanād dhīro nidrām ucchettum arhati |
Vyāsa said: Only those great-souled brāhmaṇas who are reflective sages—steadfast in self-control, vast in understanding, and devoted to the welfare of all beings—are able to behold That (the Supreme Self). A disciplined person, by cultivating sattva (clarity and purity), becomes fit to cut off sleep (torpor) and thereby sustain wakeful insight. The teaching emphasizes inner conquest—purifying one’s nature and restraining the mind—so that direct vision of the all-pervading Self becomes possible.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vision of the Supreme Self is attained by sages who combine discernment (manīṣā), steadfast self-control (dhṛti), great wisdom, and active commitment to the welfare of all beings; cultivating sattva supports wakeful clarity by overcoming torpor (nidrā).
Vyāsa is describing the qualifications of those who can ‘see’ the Supreme Reality: they are wise brāhmaṇas devoted to universal good, and through sattvic discipline they overcome dullness and maintain the inner clarity needed for realization.