Shloka 17

Devanagari script

गुणैनेनीयते बुद्धिर्बुद्धेरेवेन्द्रियाण्पपि । मन:षष्ठानि सर्वाणि तदभावे कुतो गुणा:

Transliteration

guṇair nīyate buddhir buddher evendriyāṇy api | manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhāni sarvāṇi tad-abhāve kuto guṇāḥ ||

Translation

గుణాల చేత బుద్ధి నడిపింపబడుతుంది; బుద్ధినే అనుసరించి మనస్సును ఆరవదిగా చేసుకొని సమస్త ఇంద్రియాలూ ప్రవర్తిస్తాయి. ఆ (నియామక బుద్ధి) లేకపోతే గుణాలు ఎక్కడి నుంచి కలుగుతాయి?

Word by Word

गुणैःby qualities

नnot

ईयतेis led/impelled

बुद्धिःintellect

बुद्धेःfrom the intellect

एवindeed/only

इन्द्रियाणिthe senses

अपिalso/even

मनःmind

षष्ठानिas the sixth

सर्वाणिall

तत्of that

अभावेin the absence

कुतःwhence/how

गुणाःqualities

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

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?

Bhishma explains a causal hierarchy of inner life: guṇas condition the intellect (buddhi), the senses follow the intellect, and the mind coordinates them as the sixth. Ethical conduct depends on this inner governance; without the guiding principle, stable virtues or dispositions cannot manifest.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira by analyzing how the mind, senses, and intellect function together, emphasizing that moral life is rooted in the regulation and orientation of these inner faculties.