Shloka 25

Brahmopadeśa: Adhipatitva-kathana, Dharma-lakṣaṇa, and Kṣetra–Kṣetrajña Viveka

Book 14, Chapter 43

Devanagari script

लक्षणं मनसो ध्यानमव्यक्त साधुलक्षणम्‌

Transliteration

lakṣaṇaṁ manaso dhyānam avyaktasādhulakṣaṇam | yogasya lakṣaṇaṁ pravṛttiḥ saṁnyāsasya lakṣaṇaṁ jñānam | tasmād buddhimān puruṣo jñānāśrayaṁ kṛtvā iha saṁnyāsaṁ gṛhṇīyāt ||

Translation

风神婆由说道：“心之标志在于禅观；真正贤善之人的标志，并不外露——唯由内在的自证自觉而知。瑜伽之相，在于以纪律投入正当之行；出离（弃世）之相，在于真知。故智者当依止于知，在此时此地，受持出离之道。”

Word by Word

• लक्षणम्: mark, characteristic
• लक्षणम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मनसः: of the mind
• मनसः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• ध्यानम्: meditation
• ध्यानम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अव्यक्तम्: unmanifest, not outwardly expressed
• अव्यक्तम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यक्त
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• साधु-लक्षणम्: the mark of a good/virtuous person
• साधु-लक्षणम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु + लक्षण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True virtue is primarily inward and not for display; yoga is characterized by disciplined engagement in rightful action, while renunciation is characterized by liberating knowledge. Hence one should ground oneself in knowledge and adopt renunciation in spirit (and, where appropriate, in life).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva is instructing the listener on how to recognize genuine spiritual attainment: by inner meditation and knowledge rather than external signs, and by understanding the distinct orientations of yoga (active discipline) and saṁnyāsa (knowledge-based renunciation).