Shloka 6
सतु धैर्येण महता निगृह्नन् हच्छयं मुनि: । न शशाक नियमन्तुं तद् व्यास: प्रविसृतं मन:,मुनिवर व्यास महान् धैर्यके साथ अपने कामवेगको रोकने लगे; परंतु अप्सराकी ओर गये हुए मनको रोकनेमें वे किसी तरह समर्थ न हो सके
sa tu dhairyeṇa mahatā nigṛhṇan hṛcchayaṃ muniḥ | na śaśāka niyamantuṃ tad vyāsaḥ pravisṛtaṃ manaḥ ||
Wika ni Bhishma: Bagaman ang pantas, sa dakilang katatagan, ay nagsikap pigilin ang bugso ng pagnanasa sa kanyang dibdib, hindi pa rin nagawang mapasunod ni Vyasa ang isip na nakalabas na—nahila at naakit ng apsara.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that ethical strength requires vigilant governance of the mind: even great fortitude may fail once the mind has already ‘flowed outward’ toward an alluring object. Restraint is not only physical but primarily mental, and prevention—guarding the first movement of attention—is crucial.
Bhishma describes Vyasa attempting to suppress the inner surge of desire (hṛcchaya) with great determination, yet finding himself unable to rein in his mind because it had already turned toward an apsarā. The moment illustrates the difficulty of controlling desire once attraction has taken hold.