Shloka 11

अध्याय २८६ — पराशर-उपदेशः

Ethical Restraint, Mortality, and Karma

Devanagari script

यस्मै प्राज्ञा: कथयन्ते मनुष्या: प्रज्ञामूलं हीन्द्रियाणां प्रसाद: । मुहान्ति शोचन्ति तथेन्द्रियाणि प्रज्ञालाभो नास्ति मूढेन्द्रियस्थ,ज्ञानी पुरुष जिसके लिये कहा करते हैं, उस प्रज्ञाकी जड़ है इन्द्रियोंकी निर्मलता। जिसकी इन्द्रियाँ मोह और शोकमें मग्न हैं, उस मोहाच्छन्न इन्द्रियवाले पुरुषको कभी प्रज्ञाका लाभ नहीं मिल सकता

Transliteration

yasmai prājñāḥ kathayante manuṣyāḥ prajñāmūlaṃ hīndriyāṇāṃ prasādaḥ | muhānti śocanti tathendriyāṇi prajñālābho nāsti mūḍhendriyasthaḥ ||

Translation

اہلِ بصیرت کہتے ہیں کہ حکمت کی جڑ حواس کی صفائی اور سکون ہے۔ مگر جب حواس فریب اور غم میں ڈوب جائیں تو جس کے حواس یوں دھندلا جائیں اسے کبھی حقیقی فہم نصیب نہیں ہوتا۔

Word by Word

यस्मैto whom

प्राज्ञाःthe wise (people)

कथयन्तेsay, tell

मनुष्याःmen, people

प्रज्ञा-मूलम्the root of wisdom

हिindeed

इन्द्रियाणाम्of the senses

प्रसादःclarity, purity, serenity

मुह्यन्तिare deluded

शोचन्तिgrieve

तथाthus, likewise

इन्द्रियाणिthe senses

प्रज्ञा-लाभःattainment of wisdom

नnot

अस्तिis

मूढ-इन्द्रिय-स्थेin one whose senses are deluded / in the deluded-sense state

Speaker

समड़ उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

समड़ (speaker)

म

मनुष्याः (people)

प

प्राज्ञाः (the wise)

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wisdom (prajñā) depends on the purified, calm functioning of the senses; when the senses are overwhelmed by delusion (moha) and grief (śoka), discernment cannot arise.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, the speaker presents a moral-psychological principle: inner clarity is the prerequisite for right understanding, and emotional turbulence that grips the senses prevents the attainment of wisdom.