Shloka 16

Devanagari script

मनसा क्लिश्यमानस्तु समाधानं च कारयेत्‌ । न निर्वेद॑ मुनिर्गच्छेत्‌ कुयादिवात्मनो हितम्‌,ध्यानके समय मनमें कितना ही क्लेश क्‍यों न हो, साधकको उससे ऊबना नहीं चाहिये; बल्कि और भी तत्परताके साथ मनको एकाग्र करनेका प्रयत्न करना चाहिये। ध्यानयोगी मुनिको सर्वथा अपने कल्याणका ही प्रयत्न करना चाहिये

Transliteration

manasā kliśyamānas tu samādhānaṃ ca kārayet | na nirvedaṃ munir gacchet kuryād iva ātmano hitam ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: Dẫu tâm bị khổ não và căng thẳng, hành giả vẫn phải đưa nó về sự vững yên và nuôi dưỡng định. Bậc hiền giả chớ rơi vào nản chí; trái lại, chỉ nên hành động vì lợi ích chân thật của chính mình—kiên trì trong kỷ luật đưa đến thiện lành nội tâm.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'manasā', 'definition': 'with/in the mind

• mentally (instrumental of manas)'}, {'term': 'kliśyamānaḥ', 'definition': 'being troubled, afflicted, strained (present passive participle of √kliś)'}, {'term': 'tu', 'definition': 'but

• indeed (emphatic/contrastive particle)'}, {'term': 'samādhānam', 'definition': 'settling, composure

• concentration, collectedness (samādhi in the sense of mental steadiness)'}, {'term': 'kārayet', 'definition': 'should cause to be done

• should bring about, should cultivate (causative optative of √kṛ)'}, {'term': 'na', 'definition': 'not'}, {'term': 'nirvedam', 'definition': 'dejection, disgust, despair

• loss of heart'}, {'term': 'muniḥ', 'definition': 'sage

• contemplative practitioner'}, {'term': 'gacchet', 'definition': 'should go to

• should fall into (optative of √gam)'}, {'term': 'kuryāt', 'definition': 'should do

• should undertake (optative of √kṛ)'}, {'term': 'iva', 'definition': 'as if

• indeed (often softening or emphasizing the statement)'}, {'term': 'ātmanaḥ', 'definition': 'of oneself

• of the self (genitive of ātman)'}, {'term': 'hitam', 'definition': 'benefit, welfare, true good'}]

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• muni (sage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When meditation becomes difficult and the mind feels pained or restless, one should not give up in discouragement; instead, one should deliberately re-establish composure and continue the practice that leads to one’s true welfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Bhishma advises the listener that spiritual practice requires endurance: even under mental strain, the practitioner should renew concentration and avoid despair.