Shloka 10

Doṣa-Parīkṣā and Guṇa-Viveka

Examination of Faults and Discernment of the Guṇas

Devanagari script

यदा कर्मगुणैहीना बुद्धिर्मनसि वर्तते । तदा प्रज्ञायते ब्रह्म ध्यानयोगसमाधिना

Transliteration

yadā karmaguṇair hīnā buddhir manasi vartate | tadā prajñāyate brahma dhyānayogasamādhinā ||

Translation

செயலைப் பிணைக்கும் குணங்களிலிருந்து விடுபட்ட புத்தி மனத்தில் நிலைத்திருக்கும்போது, தியான-யோகம் மற்றும் சமாதியின் ஆழ்ந்த ஒருமுகத்தால் பிரம்மம் உணரப்படுகிறது.

Word by Word

यदाwhen

कर्मगुणैःby qualities of action (karmic qualities)

हीनाdevoid (of)

बुद्धिःintellect, understanding

मनसिin the mind

वर्ततेabides, remains, functions

तदाthen

प्रज्ञायतेis known/realized

ब्रह्मBrahman, the Absolute

ध्यानयोगसमाधिनाby the meditative-yoga samadhi (concentration)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Brahman

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Realization of Brahman becomes possible when the intellect is no longer driven by the binding qualities that propel action and desire; through meditative discipline culminating in samādhi, the mind becomes steady and direct knowledge arises.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on liberation-oriented dharma. Here he describes an inner condition—buddhi purified of action-impulses—and states that, through dhyāna-yoga leading to samādhi, Brahman is directly realized.