Shloka 10

Śakra–Namuci-saṃvāda: Śoka-nivāraṇa and Daiva-vicāra

Indra and Namuci on grief, composure, and inevitability

Devanagari script

श्रवर्णं स्पर्शनं जिह्दा दृष्टिनासा तथैव च । इन्द्रियाणीति पज्चैते चित्तपूर्व गता गुणा:,श्रवण, त्वचा, जिह्ठा, नेत्र और नासिका--ये पाँच ज्ञानेन्द्रियाँ हैं। शब्द आदि गुण चित्तसे संयुक्त होकर इन इन्द्रियोंके विषय होते हैं

Transliteration

śravaṇaṁ sparśanaṁ jihvā dṛṣṭi-nāsā tathaiva ca | indriyāṇīti pañcaite citta-pūrva-gatā guṇāḥ ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—శ్రవణం, స్పర్శ, జిహ్వ, దృష్టి, నాసిక—ఇవి ఐదు జ్ఞానేంద్రియాలు. శబ్దాది గుణాలు ముందుగా చిత్తంతో (మనస్సుతో) సంయుక్తమై, ఆపై ఈ ఇంద్రియాల విషయాలుగా అనుభవింపబడతాయి.

Word by Word

श्रवणम्hearing (ear; sense of hearing)

स्पर्शनम्touch (skin; sense of touch)

जिह्वाtongue

दृष्टिःsight (vision)

नासाnose (smell-organ)

तथाthus; likewise

एवindeed; just; only

चand

इन्द्रियाणिsense-organs

इतिthus; so (quotative)

पञ्चfive

एतेthese

चित्तपूर्वगताḥpreceded by the mind; going before the mind

गुणाःqualities (sense-objects such as sound etc.)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

citta (mind)

indriyāṇi (five senses)

guṇāḥ (sense-qualities/objects)

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 five senses function as channels of knowledge, but their objects (sound, touch, form, taste, smell) are mediated by the mind; therefore ethical self-mastery begins with governing the mind that precedes and directs sensory engagement.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction, Bhīṣma continues his discourse on inner discipline by enumerating the five perceptive faculties and explaining how sense-objects become experienced through them in conjunction with the mind.