Mahabharata — Udyoga Parva, Shloka 19

Sanatsujāta on the Imperceptible Eternal Light (यत्तच्छुक्रं महज्ज्योतिः)

Devanagari script

यः सहस््र॑ं सहस्राणां पक्षान्‌ संतत्य सम्पतेत्‌ । मध्यमे मध्य आगच्छेदपि चेत्‌ स्यान्मनोजव: । योगिनस्तं प्रपश्यन्ति भगवन्तं सनातनम्‌

Transliteration

yaḥ sahasraṁ sahasrāṇāṁ pakṣān santatya sampatet | madhyame madhya āgacched api cet syān manojavaḥ | yoginas taṁ prapaśyanti bhagavantaṁ sanātanam ||

Translation

Kahit pa may magkabit ng libu-libo at libu-libong pakpak at lumipad na kasimbilis ng isip, sa huli’y darating pa rin siya sa pinakasentro—babalik sa Panginoong nananahan sa puso. Ang walang-hanggang, banal na Katotohanang iyon ay tuwirang nakikita ng mga yogin. Ipinahihiwatig ng aral ang kabulaanan ng pagtakas sa labas at ang di-maiiwasang pagbaling sa loob, sa nananahang Sarili bilang huling kanlungan at layon.

Word by Word

• {'yaḥ': 'who

• whoever', 'sahasram': 'a thousand', 'sahasrāṇām': 'of thousands', 'pakṣān': 'wings', 'santatya': 'having attached

• having added', 'sampatet': 'would fly

• would soar', 'madhyame': 'in the middle

• at the center', 'madhya': 'the middle

• the center', 'āgacchet': 'would come

• would arrive', 'api cet': 'even if', 'syāt': 'were

• might be', 'manojavaḥ': 'having the speed of the mind

• mind-swift', 'yoginaḥ': 'yogins

• contemplatives', 'tam': 'him

• that (Reality)', 'prapaśyanti': 'behold directly

• perceive clearly', 'bhagavantam': 'the Blessed Lord

• the divine one', 'sanātanam': 'eternal

Speaker

सनत्सुजात उवाच

Characters & Entities

• सनत्सुजात (Sanatsujāta)
• भगवान् सनातन (the Eternal Lord / Paramātman)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

No matter how far or fast one tries to go outward—symbolized by countless wings and mind-like speed—one ultimately returns to the inner center, the indwelling eternal Lord. True fulfillment comes through inward realization, which yogins attain by direct perception.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanatsujāta is instructing (in the Udyoga Parva dialogue) on the nature of ultimate reality and liberation, using a vivid metaphor to show that external striving cannot bypass the inner Self; the yogin’s path culminates in direct vision of the eternal Bhagavān within.