Shloka 27

मोक्षोपाय-निर्णयः

Determination of the Means to Liberation

Devanagari script

आत्मानमसमाधाय समाधित्सति यः परान्‌ | विषयेष्विन्द्रियवशं मानवा: प्रहसन्ति तम्‌

Transliteration

ātmānam asamādhāya samādhitsati yaḥ parān | viṣayeṣv indriyavaśaṃ mānavāḥ prahasanti tam ||

Translation

Humatsena nói: “Kẻ chưa tự điều phục mình, lòng còn chao đảo, giữa các đối tượng dục lạc lại làm nô lệ cho giác quan—nếu người ấy toan dạy kẻ khác về tự chế và hạnh kiểm chính đáng, thiên hạ chỉ cười nhạo mà thôi.”

Word by Word

• आत्मानम्: self
• आत्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• असमाधाय: without composing (his mind/self)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-धा
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), not having composed/collected

• समाधित्सति: wishes/intends to compose (to discipline)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (इच्छार्थे: समाधित्स्)
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, लट्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परान्: others
• परान्: Karma
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• विषयेषु: in sense-objects
• विषयेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• इन्द्रियवशम्: under the control of the senses
• इन्द्रियवशम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्द्रिय-वश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मानवाः: people
• मानवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रहसन्ति: laugh at / ridicule
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हस्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada, लट्

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

हुमत्सेन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• हुमत्सेन (Humatsena)
• माणवाः (people/men)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moral instruction gains authority only when grounded in personal discipline. One who is ruled by sense-pleasures and lacks inner composure cannot credibly teach restraint or dharma; such preaching invites ridicule.

What is happening in the narrative?

Humatsena is offering an ethical observation within the Shanti Parva’s didactic discourse: he contrasts outward preaching with inward mastery, warning that a person (especially a ruler) who cannot govern himself cannot effectively guide others.