Shloka 16

Śarīrin, Buddhi, and the Limits of Sense-Perception (इन्द्रियबुद्धिशरीरिविचारः)

Devanagari script

मनसा क्लिश्यमानस्तु समाधानं च कारयेत्‌ । न निर्वेद॑ मुनिर्गच्छेत्‌ कुयादिवात्मनो हितम्‌

Transliteration

manasā kliśyamānas tu samādhānaṃ ca kārayet | na nirvedaṃ munir gacchet kuryād iva ātmano hitam ||

Translation

ध्यानकाळी मन कितीही क्लेशित झाले तरी साधकाने त्यातून खचू नये वा कंटाळू नये; उलट अधिक तत्परतेने मन स्थिर करून एकाग्र करण्याचा प्रयत्न करावा. मुनीने नेहमीच आपल्या परम हितासाठीच आचरण करावे।

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'manasā', 'definition': 'with/in the mind

• mentally (instrumental of manas)'}, {'term': 'kliśyamānaḥ', 'definition': 'being troubled, afflicted, strained (present passive participle of √kliś)'}, {'term': 'tu', 'definition': 'but

• indeed (emphatic/contrastive particle)'}, {'term': 'samādhānam', 'definition': 'settling, composure

• concentration, collectedness (samādhi in the sense of mental steadiness)'}, {'term': 'kārayet', 'definition': 'should cause to be done

• should bring about, should cultivate (causative optative of √kṛ)'}, {'term': 'na', 'definition': 'not'}, {'term': 'nirvedam', 'definition': 'dejection, disgust, despair

• loss of heart'}, {'term': 'muniḥ', 'definition': 'sage

• contemplative practitioner'}, {'term': 'gacchet', 'definition': 'should go to

• should fall into (optative of √gam)'}, {'term': 'kuryāt', 'definition': 'should do

• should undertake (optative of √kṛ)'}, {'term': 'iva', 'definition': 'as if

• indeed (often softening or emphasizing the statement)'}, {'term': 'ātmanaḥ', 'definition': 'of oneself

• of the self (genitive of ātman)'}, {'term': 'hitam', 'definition': 'benefit, welfare, true good'}]

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• muni (sage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When meditation becomes difficult and the mind feels pained or restless, one should not give up in discouragement; instead, one should deliberately re-establish composure and continue the practice that leads to one’s true welfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Bhishma advises the listener that spiritual practice requires endurance: even under mental strain, the practitioner should renew concentration and avoid despair.