Shloka 35

Vyaktāvyakta-Viveka and Nivṛtti as Paramā Gati

Manifest–Unmanifest Discrimination and the Supreme Path of Withdrawal

Devanagari script

मन: सत्त्वगुणं प्राहु: सत्त्वमव्यक्तजं तथा । सर्वभूतात्मभूतस्थं तस्माद्‌ बुद्धोत बुद्धिमान्‌,मनको महत्तत्त्वका कार्य कहा है और महत्तत्त्वको अव्यक्त प्रकृतिका कार्य कहा है। अतः बुद्धिमान्‌ पुरुषको चाहिये कि वह समस्त भूतोंके आत्मारूप परमेश्वरको समस्त प्राणियोंमें स्थित जाने

Transliteration

manaḥ sattvaguṇaṃ prāhuḥ sattvam avyaktajaṃ tathā | sarvabhūtātma-bhūtasthaṃ tasmād buddho buddhi-mān (jānīyāt) ||

Translation

بھیشم نے کہا—وہ کہتے ہیں کہ من سَتّوَ گُن سے بنا ہے، اور سَتّوَ بھی اَویَکت (پرکرتی) سے پیدا ہوتا ہے۔ اس لیے بیدار اور صاحبِ تمیز انسان کو چاہیے کہ وہ تمام بھوتوں کے آتما-سوروپ پرمیشور کو ہر جاندار کے اندر قائم و مقیم پہچانے۔

Word by Word

• {'manaḥ': 'mind', 'sattva-guṇam': 'of the sattva quality

• characterized by clarity and luminosity', 'prāhuḥ': 'they say

• they declare', 'sattvam': 'sattva

• the principle/quality of purity and balance', 'avyakta-jam': 'born from the Unmanifest

• arising from avyakta (Prakṛti)', 'tathā': 'likewise

• in the same way', 'sarva-bhūta-ātma': 'the Self of all beings

• indwelling Self common to all', 'bhūta-stham': 'situated in beings

• abiding in creatures', 'tasmāt': 'therefore

• for that reason', 'buddhaḥ': 'awakened

• enlightened (one who has understood)', 'buddhi-mān': 'discerning

• endowed with understanding', 'jānīyāt (implied)': 'should know

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Parameshvara (Supreme Lord)
• Avyakta (the Unmanifest Prakriti)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Mind is described as sattva-dominant, sattva is traced back to the Unmanifest (avyakta/Prakṛti), and on this basis the wise are urged to perceive the Supreme as the inner Self present in all beings—an ethical vision that supports universal respect and non-harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira on liberation-oriented wisdom: he links psychological principles (mind and sattva) to cosmological origin (avyakta) and concludes with a practical contemplative directive—recognize the indwelling Lord in every creature.