Shloka 16
मनुरुवाच — इन्द्रिय-मनः-ज्ञान-क्रमः
Manu on the hierarchy of senses, mind, and knowledge
तद् धिया ध्यायति ब्रह्म जपन् वै संहिताम् हिताम् । संन्यस्यत्यथवा तां वै समाधौ पर्यवस्थित:
tad dhiyā dhyāyati brahma japan vai saṁhitām hitām | saṁnyasyaty athavā tāṁ vai samādhau paryavasthitaḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：以受持戒律之心观想梵（Brahman），并诵念有益的圣典总集《三希塔》（saṃhitā）。或复舍弃一切他缘，安住于三摩地（samādhi）之中——沉入内在的寂静与真实。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a disciplined spiritual path: one should use the intellect to contemplate Brahman, support the mind through beneficial recitation (japa of a sacred text/mantra), and ultimately cultivate renunciation that culminates in steady samādhi—inner absorption oriented toward truth and liberation.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and the path of peace, Bhīṣma continues advising on inner practice. He describes how a seeker engages in contemplation and recitation, and how, through renunciation, the seeker becomes firmly established in meditative absorption.