Shloka 13

Śarīrin, Buddhi, and the Limits of Sense-Perception (इन्द्रियबुद्धिशरीरिविचारः)

Devanagari script

समादितं क्षणं किज्चिद्‌ ध्यानवर्त्मनि तिष्ठति । पुनर्वायुपथं भ्रान्तं मनो भवति वायुवत्‌

Transliteration

samāditaṁ kṣaṇaṁ kiñcid dhyānavartmani tiṣṭhati | punar vāyupathaṁ bhrāntaṁ mano bhavati vāyuvat ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：当心初被收摄而置于修习之时，它只能在禅观之道上停驻片刻；继而又迷入生命之风的运行轨迹，心意昏乱，如风一般复起躁动，难以安定。

Word by Word

• समाहितम्: collected, concentrated
• समाहितम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाहित (सम्-आ-धा धातु से क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• क्षणम्: for a moment
• क्षणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• किञ्चित्: a little, somewhat
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित्

• ध्यानवर्त्मनि: on the path of meditation
• ध्यानवर्त्मनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यानवर्त्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• तिष्ठति: stands, remains
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (तिष्ठ)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• वायुपथम्: the course/track of wind
• वायुपथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायुपथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भ्रान्तम्: bewildered, wandering
• भ्रान्तम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रान्त (भ्रम् धातु से क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मनः: the mind
• मनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भवति: becomes
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वायुवत्: like the wind
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वायुवत्

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• mind (manas)
• wind/vital airs (vāyu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even after initial concentration, the mind tends to slip back into habitual restlessness; therefore sustained practice and disciplined regulation of the inner energies (prāṇa/vāyu) are needed for stable meditation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction in the Śānti Parva, he describes a meditator’s common experience: the mind briefly becomes one-pointed, then wanders again, becoming fickle like the wind.