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Shloka 31

Saṃhāra-krama (The Sequence of Cosmic Dissolution) — Yājñavalkya’s Discourse

अप्रमत्तो तथा धन्वी लक्ष्यं हन्ति समाहित: । युक्त: सम्यक्‌ तथा योगी मोक्ष॑ प्राप्नोत्यसंशयम्‌

bhīṣma uvāca | apramatto tathā dhanvī lakṣyaṃ hanti samāhitaḥ | yuktaḥ samyak tathā yogī mokṣaṃ prāpnoty asaṃśayam ||

भीष्म उवाच—अप्रमत्तो यथा धन्वी लक्ष्यं हन्ति समाहितः। युक्तः सम्यक् तथा योगी मोक्षं प्राप्नोत्यसंशयम्॥

अप्रमत्तःattentive, not careless
अप्रमत्तः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअप्रमत्त (प्रमद्-धातु से क्त; न-प्रमत्त)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तथाthus, likewise
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
धन्वीarcher, bowman
धन्वी:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधन्विन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
लक्ष्यम्target, mark
लक्ष्यम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootलक्ष्य
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
हन्तिstrikes, hits
हन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootहन्
FormPresent, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
समाहितःcollected, concentrated
समाहितः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसमाहित (सम्-आ-धा धातु से क्त)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
युक्तःyoked, disciplined, engaged
युक्तः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootयुक्त (युज् धातु से क्त)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सम्यक्properly, rightly
सम्यक्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसम्यक्
तथाthus, likewise
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
योगीyogi, practitioner of yoga
योगी:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootयोगिन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
मोक्षम्liberation
मोक्षम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमोक्ष
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
प्राप्नोतिattains, obtains
प्राप्नोति:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-आप्
FormPresent, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
असंशयम्undoubtedly, without doubt
असंशयम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअसंशय

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma
A
archer (dhanvī)
B
bow (implied by dhanvī)
T
target (lakṣya)
Y
yogin (yogī)
M
moksha (liberation)

Educational Q&A

Bhishma teaches that liberation is the assured result of sustained vigilance and one-pointed concentration: as an attentive archer inevitably hits the mark, a disciplined yogin who fixes the mind correctly in the Supreme attains moksha without doubt.

In Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and spiritual practice, Bhishma addresses the listener with a practical analogy from martial life—archery—to explain inner discipline: focused effort in yoga yields a definite spiritual outcome, just as focused aim yields a definite physical result.