Shloka 10

मनस्–बुद्धि–गुणविचारः (Manas–Buddhi–Guṇa Inquiry) — Meditation and Nirguṇa Realization

Devanagari script

आत्मकेवलतां प्राप्तस्तत्र गत्वा न शोचति । ईदृशं परमं स्थान निरयास्ते च तादृशा:,जो आत्मकैवल्यको प्राप्त हो चुका है वही मनुष्य वहाँ जाकर शोकसे रहित हो जाता है। उस परमधामका स्वरूप ऐसा ही है और पहले जो नाना प्रकारके सुखभोगोंसे सम्पन्न लोक बताये गये हैं, वे सभी उसकी तुलनामें नरक हैं

Transliteration

ātmakevalatāṃ prāptas tatra gatvā na śocati | īdṛśaṃ paramaṃ sthānaṃ nirayās te ca tādṛśāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma bersabda: “Sesiapa yang telah mencapai ātma-kaivalya—keadaan kesendirian mutlak Sang Diri—apabila sampai ke sana, tidak lagi berdukacita. Demikianlah hakikat kediaman tertinggi itu; dan jika dibandingkan dengannya, bahkan dunia-dunia yang dahulu digambarkan sarat dengan pelbagai kenikmatan, pada hakikatnya bagaikan neraka.”

Word by Word

आत्मकैवलताम्self-alone-ness; absolute self-isolation (kaivalya-state)

प्राप्तःhaving attained

तत्रthere

गत्वाhaving gone

नnot

शोचतिgrieves

ईदृशम्such; of this kind

परमम्supreme

स्थानम्place; abode

निरयाःhells

तेthose

चand

तादृशाःof that kind; such (as described)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

paramaṃ sthānam (the supreme abode/state)

niraya (hell)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True freedom from grief arises only upon attaining ātma-kaivalya—abidance in the Self as the highest reality. Compared to that supreme state, even pleasure-filled heavenly experiences are inferior and are rhetorically likened to hell because they remain within change, dependence, and eventual loss.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation, Bhishma continues teaching about the highest goal. He contrasts the sorrowless peace of the supreme state with the limited nature of pleasure-based worlds, emphasizing the superiority of liberation over enjoyment.