Shloka 15

Devanagari script

इन्द्रियाणि नरे पठच षष्ठं तु मन उच्यते । सप्तमीं बुद्धिमेवाहु: क्षेत्रज्ञ: पुनरष्टम:,मानव-शरीरमें पाँच ज्ञानेन्द्रियाँ और छठा मन बताया जाता है। बुद्धिको सातवीं और क्षेत्रञको आठवाँ कहते हैं

Transliteration

indriyāṇi nare pañca ṣaṣṭhaṃ tu mana ucyate | saptamīṃ buddhim evāhuḥ kṣetrajñaḥ punar aṣṭamaḥ ||

Translation

മനുഷ്യദേഹത്തിൽ അഞ്ചു ജ്ഞാനേന്ദ്രിയങ്ങൾ; ആറാമതായി മനസ്സ് എന്നു പറയുന്നു. ബുദ്ധി ഏഴാമത്; ക്ഷേത്രജ്ഞൻ (സാക്ഷിയായ ആത്മാവ്) എട്ടാമത് എന്നു വിളിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

इन्द्रियाणिthe sense-organs

नरेin a man / in the human (body)

पञ्चfive

षष्ठम्the sixth

तुbut/indeed

मनःmind

उच्यतेis said / is called

सप्तमीम्the seventh (as)

बुद्धिम्intellect

एवindeed/just

आहुःthey say

क्षेत्रज्ञःthe knower of the field (self)

पुनःagain/further

अष्टमम्the eighth (as)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

indriyas (sense-faculties)

manas (mind)

buddhi (intellect)

kṣetrajña (knower of the field/Self)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A human being is analyzed into instruments (five senses, mind, intellect) and the true subject (kṣetrajña, the witnessing Self). Ethical mastery begins by recognizing that the Self is distinct from sensory impulses and mental fluctuations, enabling disciplined, discerning action.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction to Yudhishthira, Bhishma continues a philosophical-ethical exposition, classifying the components of the person to support teachings on self-control, right understanding, and the pursuit of peace and liberation after the war.