Shloka 24

Śānti-parva 206: Guṇa-hetu Moha, Kāma-krodha Chain, Indriya-utpatti, and Nirodha

Devanagari script

सूक्ष्मेण मनसा विद्यो वाचा वक्तुंन शकक्‍्नुम: । मनो हि मनसा ग्राहां दर्शनेन च दर्शनम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | sūkṣmeṇa manasā vidyo vācā vaktuṃ na śaknumaḥ | mano hi manasā grāhyaṃ darśanena ca darśanam |

Translation

பீஷ்மர் கூறினார்—நுண்மையும் தூய்மையும் பெற்ற மனத்தால் பரமத் தத்துவத்தை நேரடியாக உணரலாம்; ஆனால் வாக்கால் அதை விவரிக்க இயலாது. ஏனெனில் மனத்தின் பொருள்கள் மனத்தாலேயே பற்றப்படுகின்றன; காட்சியின் அறிவு காட்சியாலேயே அறியப்படுகிறது.

Word by Word

• {'sūkṣmeṇa': 'by the subtle (refined, minute) means

• with subtlety', 'manasā': 'by the mind

• with the mind (instrumental)', 'vidyaḥ/vidyo': 'the wise

• those who know (context: knowers of truth)', 'vācā': 'by speech

• through words', 'vaktum': 'to speak

• to describe', 'na śaknumaḥ': 'we are not able

• we cannot', 'manaḥ': 'mind', 'hi': 'indeed

• for', 'manasā grāhyam': 'graspable only by the mind

• apprehended through mind alone', 'darśanena': 'by seeing

• by direct perception/vision', 'darśanam': 'seeing

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ultimate reality is directly realizable through a purified, subtle mind, but it cannot be adequately captured in words; inner experience is known only by the corresponding inner faculty.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, Bhishma continues teaching about higher knowledge, emphasizing that the Supreme is approached through inner refinement and direct realization rather than verbal description.