Shloka 14

Devanagari script

न चात्मा शक्‍्यते द्रष्टमिन्द्रिये: कामगोचरै: । प्रवर्तमानैरनये दुष्करैरकृतात्मभि:

Transliteration

na cātmā śakyate draṣṭum indriyaiḥ kāmagocaraiḥ | pravartamānair anaye duṣkarair akṛtātmabhiḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa berkata: Diri Sejati (Ātman) tidak dapat dilihat dengan sebenar-benarnya melalui pancaindera, kerana indera bergerak dalam medan nafsu-keinginan. Apabila ia meluru di jalan kesesatan—gelisah dan sukar dikekang—terutama bagi mereka yang belum menundukkan diri, maka penglihatan langsung terhadap hakikat batin menjadi mustahil.

Word by Word

नnot

चand

आत्माthe self

शक्यतेis able / can be

द्रष्टुम्to see

इन्द्रियैःby the senses

कामगोचरैःmoving in the range of desires (sense-objects)

प्रवर्तमानैःoperating / being engaged

अनयेby those that lead astray / improper

दुष्करैःhard to control / difficult

अकृतात्मभिःby the undisciplined (uncontrolled) persons

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Ātman (Self)

Indriyas (senses)

Kāma (desire)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Self-knowledge is not attained through sense-driven experience, because the senses naturally chase desire and can lead one into error. Therefore, discipline (self-mastery and restraint of the senses) is presented as a prerequisite for perceiving the Ātman.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, Vyāsa delivers instruction on inner discipline and the limits of sensory cognition, emphasizing that those lacking self-control (akṛtātmā) cannot gain direct insight into the Self while the senses remain active in desire’s domain.