Shloka 16

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

Devanagari script

मनसा क्लिश्यमानस्तु समाधानं च कारयेत्‌ । न निर्वेद॑ मुनिर्गच्छेत्‌ कुयादिवात्मनो हितम्‌

Transliteration

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

Translation

毗湿摩说道：纵使其心受苦而紧迫，也当令之安住，修习定力。牟尼不应陷入沮丧；应当只为自身真实的福祉而行——坚持那导向内在善的修持。

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.