Shloka 43

Devanagari script

सत्त्वसंसेवनाद धीरो निद्रामुच्छेत्तुमरहति । विद्वानोंने योगके जो काम, क्रोध, लोभ, भय और पाँचवाँ स्वप्र--ये पाँच दोष बताये हैं उनका पूर्णतया उच्छेद करे। इनमेंसे क्रोधको शम (मनोनिग्रह) के द्वारा जीते, कामको संकल्पके त्यागद्वारा पराजित करे तथा धीर पुरुष सत्वगुणका सेवन करनेसे निद्राका उच्छेद कर सकता है

Transliteration

sattvasaṃsevanād dhīro nidrām ucchettum arhati | vidvān yogake ye kāma-krodha-lobha-bhayaṃ pañcamaṃ svapnam—ime pañca doṣāḥ proktāḥ, teṣāṃ pūrṇatayā ucchedaṃ kuryāt | teṣu krodhaṃ śamena (manonigrahena) jayet, kāmaṃ saṅkalpatyāgena parājayet, tathā dhīraḥ sattvaguṇasaṃsevanena nidrāyā ucchedaṃ kartum śaknoti |

Translation

Vyāsa teaches that a steadfast person, by cultivating sattva (clarity and purity), becomes capable of cutting off excessive sleep. A wise practitioner should completely uproot the five faults spoken of in yoga—desire, anger, greed, fear, and (as the fifth) dream-born delusion. Among these, anger is to be conquered through śama, the restraint of the mind; desire is to be defeated by abandoning compulsive resolve and craving-intent. Thus, through the steady practice of sattva, the disciplined person can overcome lethargy and drowsiness and move toward inner mastery.

Word by Word

• {'sattva-saṃsevana': 'cultivation/association with sattva

• practice of clarity, purity, balance', 'dhīra': 'steadfast, composed, self-possessed person', 'nidrā': 'sleep

• here especially tamasic drowsiness/lethargy', 'ucchettum / uccheda': 'to cut off, uproot, eradicate', 'arhati': 'is fit/able/deserving to', 'vidvān': 'the wise, learned person', 'yoga': 'discipline of inner integration

• spiritual practice', 'kāma': 'desire, craving, sensual/egoic impulse', 'krodha': 'anger, wrath', 'lobha': 'greed, grasping', 'bhaya': 'fear', 'svapna': 'dream

• here dream-born confusion/instability', 'doṣa': 'fault, defect, moral-psychological blemish', 'śama': 'calmness

• mental restraint, pacification of the mind', 'manonigraha': 'control/restraint of the mind', 'saṅkalpa': 'resolve, intention, mental construction

• craving-intent', 'tyāga': 'abandonment, renunciation', 'parājayet / jayet': 'should defeat / should conquer', 'sattvaguṇa': 'the quality of sattva (clarity, light, harmony)'}

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches yogic self-mastery: uproot five inner faults (desire, anger, greed, fear, and dream-born delusion). Anger is subdued by śama (mental restraint), desire by abandoning saṅkalpa (craving-intent), and excessive sleep is overcome by cultivating sattva (clarity and balance).

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Vyāsa speaks as a spiritual authority, giving practical guidance on inner discipline—identifying key psychological obstacles and prescribing specific methods to conquer them as part of yogic and ethical training.