Shloka 24

Devanagari script

धृत्या देहान्‌ धारयन्तो बुद्धिसंक्षिप्तचेतस: । स्थानेभ्यो ध्वंसमानाश्र सूक्ष्मत्वात्‌ तदुपासते

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | dhṛtyā dehān dhārayanto buddhisaṃkṣiptacetasaḥ | sthānebhyo dhvaṃsamānāśrāḥ sūkṣmatvāt tad upāsate ||

Translation

କିଛି ଯୋଗୀ ଧୃତିବଳେ ଦେହକୁ ଧାରଣ କରି, ବୁଦ୍ଧିଦ୍ୱାରା ଚିତ୍ତକୁ ସଂକ୍ଷିପ୍ତ କରି ବିଷୟମାନଙ୍କୁ ଛାଡ଼ି ଦିଅନ୍ତି। ନଶ୍ୱର ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରିୟ-ସ୍ଥାନମାନରୁ ଆଶ୍ରୟ ହଟାଇ, ସୂକ୍ଷ୍ମ ବୁଦ୍ଧିରେ ସେମାନେ ସେହି ପରମ ବ୍ରହ୍ମଙ୍କୁ ଉପାସନା କରନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• धृत्या: by firmness/steadfastness
• धृत्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• देहान्: bodies
• देहान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• धारयन्तः: bearing/holding (while sustaining)
• धारयन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बुद्धि-संक्षिप्त-चेतसः: whose minds are restrained/contracted by intellect
• बुद्धि-संक्षिप्त-चेतसः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चेतस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्थानेभ्यः: from the places/seats (bases)
• स्थानेभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Plural

• ध्वंसमानाः: breaking away/withdrawing (being dissolved/ceasing)
• ध्वंसमानाः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्वंस
• Form: शानच् (present middle participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• आश्रयम्: support/refuge (dependence)
• आश्रयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सूक्ष्मत्वात्: because of subtlety
• सूक्ष्मत्वात्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूक्ष्मत्व
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• तत्: that (Brahman/that principle)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उपासते: they worship/meditate upon
• उपासते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आस्
• Form: Present (Lat), Atmanepada, Third, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• yogins
• Brahman (That)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True spiritual practice is described as sustaining embodied life with steadfastness while withdrawing the mind from sense-objects, abandoning reliance on perishable bodily-sensory supports, and turning subtle, refined intellect toward contemplation of Brahman.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction during the Shanti Parva, he characterizes a class of yogins: they practice inner withdrawal and concentration, detach from the sensory ‘stations’ that decay, and engage in worshipful contemplation of the Supreme Reality.