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Shloka 15

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

विचारश्न विवेकश्न वितर्कश्षोपजायते । मुने: समादधानस्य प्रथमं ध्यानमादितः,योगी जब ध्यानका आरम्भ करता है, तब पहले उसके मनमें ध्यानविषयक विचार, विवेक और वितर्क आदि प्रकट होते हैं

vicāraś ca vivekaś ca vitarkaś copajāyate | muneḥ samādhānasya prathamaṃ dhyānam āditaḥ ||

Бхишма сказал: Когда мудрец-йогин начинает практику медитации и собирает ум к сосредоточению, в самом начале возникают движения ума — размышление, различающее распознавание и рассудительное обдумывание, связанные с предметом созерцания. Это первая ступень внутренней дисциплины, где ум впервые учится отворачиваться от рассеянности и обращаться к ясности.

विचारःthought, reflection
विचारः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootविचार
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
विवेकःdiscernment, discrimination
विवेकः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootविवेक
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
वितर्कःreasoning, deliberation
वितर्कः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवितर्क
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
उपजायतेarises, comes into being
उपजायते:
TypeVerb
Rootउप-√जन् (जायते)
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Atmanepada
मुनेःof the sage
मुनेः:
TypeNoun
Rootमुनि
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
समादधानस्यof (him) who is applying/placing (the mind), concentrating
समादधानस्य:
TypeVerb
Rootसम्-आ-√धा (समादधत्) → समादधान
FormShatr (present active participle), Masculine, Genitive, Singular
प्रथमम्first, at first
प्रथमम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रथम
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
ध्यानम्meditation
ध्यानम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootध्यान
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
आदितःfrom the beginning, at the outset
आदितः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootआदि

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma
M
muni (sage)
Y
yogi

Educational Q&A

At the beginning of meditation, the mind does not become silent immediately; it first produces structured mental activity—reflection (vicāra), discernment (viveka), and reasoning (vitarka). These are presented as natural early signs of concentration developing, guiding the practitioner toward clearer, ethically informed awareness.

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Bhīṣma is teaching about yogic practice. He describes the initial phase of a sage’s meditation: as the yogin starts to concentrate, certain cognitive processes arise around the meditation-object, indicating the mind’s transition from scattered thought to ordered contemplation.