Shloka 16

मनुरुवाच — इन्द्रिय-मनः-ज्ञान-क्रमः

Manu on the hierarchy of senses, mind, and knowledge

Devanagari script

तद्‌ धिया ध्यायति ब्रह्म जपन्‌ वै संहिताम्‌ हिताम्‌ । संन्यस्यत्यथवा तां वै समाधौ पर्यवस्थित:

Transliteration

tad dhiyā dhyāyati brahma japan vai saṁhitām hitām | saṁnyasyaty athavā tāṁ vai samādhau paryavasthitaḥ ||

Translation

అతడు నియమిత బుద్ధితో బ్రహ్మను ధ్యానిస్తూ, హితకరమైన సంహితను జపిస్తాడు. లేదా అన్నిటినీ విరజించి సమాధిలో స్థిరంగా నిలుస్తాడు—అంతఃశాంతి, సత్యంలో అచలంగా లీనమై.

Word by Word

तत्that (Brahman/that object)

धियाwith the intellect, by thought

ध्यायतिmeditates

ब्रह्मBrahman, the Absolute

जपन्reciting, muttering

वैindeed

संहिताम्the collection/compilation (text), the Saṃhitā

हिताम्beneficial, salutary

संन्यस्यतिrenounces, lays aside

अथवाor else

ताम्that (Saṃhitā/that thing)

वैindeed

समाधौin samādhi, in deep concentration

पर्यवस्थितःsteadfast, established (remaining)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Brahman

saṁhitā (sacred compendium/text)

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?

The verse presents a disciplined spiritual path: one should use the intellect to contemplate Brahman, support the mind through beneficial recitation (japa of a sacred text/mantra), and ultimately cultivate renunciation that culminates in steady samādhi—inner absorption oriented toward truth and liberation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and the path of peace, Bhīṣma continues advising on inner practice. He describes how a seeker engages in contemplation and recitation, and how, through renunciation, the seeker becomes firmly established in meditative absorption.