Shloka 14

Adhyāya 42 — Mahābhūta–Indriya–Adhyātma-Vyavasthā

Brahmā’s Instruction on Elements and Faculties

Devanagari script

इन्द्रियग्राम इत्येष मन एकादशं भवेत्‌ । एत॑ ग्रामं जयेत्‌ पूर्व ततो ब्रह्म प्रकाशते

Transliteration

indriyagrāma ityeṣa mana ekādaśaṁ bhavet | etaṁ grāmaṁ jayet pūrvaṁ tato brahma prakāśate ||

Translation

Thần Vāyu nói: “Cái gọi là ‘cộng đồng các căn’ gồm mười năng lực, và tâm là căn thứ mười một. Trước hết phải chế ngự toàn bộ hội chúng ấy; rồi khi đó Brahman mới rực sáng, hiển lộ trực tiếp.”

Word by Word

• {'indriya-grāmaḥ': 'the ‘group/collective’ of the sense-faculties (the whole sensory apparatus)', 'iti': 'thus

• in this manner (marking a definition/label)', 'eṣaḥ': 'this', 'manaḥ': 'mind

• the inner organ that coordinates and drives the senses', 'ekādaśam': 'the eleventh', 'bhavet': 'becomes

• is (may be understood as ‘is to be regarded as’)', 'etam': 'this (accusative: ‘this very’)', 'grāmam': 'group

• collection', 'jayet': 'should conquer

• should overcome', 'pūrvam': 'first

• beforehand', 'tataḥ': 'then

• thereafter', 'brahma': 'Brahman

• the supreme reality', 'prakāśate': 'shines forth

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• Brahman
• indriyas (sense-faculties)
• manas (mind)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the ten sense-faculties form an ‘assembly’ and the mind is the eleventh; spiritual realization arises when one first masters this entire system—restraining sensory pull and disciplining the mind—after which Brahman becomes directly evident.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva is instructing the listener in a didactic, yogic register, defining the ‘indriyagrāma’ and emphasizing a practical sequence: first victory over the senses and mind, then the dawning of Brahman-knowledge.