Shloka 17

मनुरुवाच — इन्द्रिय-मनः-ज्ञान-क्रमः

Manu on the hierarchy of senses, mind, and knowledge

Devanagari script

फिर बुद्धिके द्वारा परब्रह्म परमात्माका ध्यान करे तथा सर्व-हितकारिणी वेदसंहिताका एवं प्रणव और गायत्री मन्त्रका जप करे। फिर समाधिमें स्थित होनेपर उस संहिता एवं गायत्री मन्त्र आदिके जपको भी त्याग दे ।।

Transliteration

dhyānam utpādayaty atra saṁhitā-bala-saṁśrayāt | śuddhātmā tapasā dānto nivṛtta-dveṣa-kāmavān ||

Translation

毗湿摩解释说：依凭诵持《吠陀三希塔》（Veda-saṃhitā）之力，求道者生起内观。其心清净，以苦行（tapas）调伏，克己自持，远离憎恨与欲求，遂堪入深禅；及至定境稳固之时，连对反复诵句之依赖亦能放下。

Word by Word

• {'dhyānam': 'meditation

• sustained contemplative focus', 'utpādayati': 'produces

• generates', 'atra': 'here

• in this practice/context', 'saṁhitā': 'Vedic collection/recitation

• the Saṁhitā portion of the Veda', 'bala': 'strength

• efficacy', 'saṁśrayāt': 'by resorting to

• taking refuge in', 'śuddhātmā': 'one whose inner self/mind is purified', 'tapasā': 'by austerity

• by disciplined effort/ascetic practice', 'dāntaḥ': 'self-controlled

• restrained (especially of senses)', 'nivṛtta': 'turned back

• ceased', 'dveṣa': 'hatred

• aversion', 'kāma': 'desire

• craving', 'kāmavān': 'possessing desire (here understood as one who has dealt with/withdrawn from desire in practice, i.e., no longer driven by it)'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (speaker)
• Saṁhitā (Vedic recitation/collection)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Meditation is stabilized by disciplined life: purity of mind, austerity, and sense-restraint, along with withdrawing from hatred and desire. Vedic recitation can serve as a support to generate contemplation, but the mature aim is steady absorption that is not dependent on external repetition.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma is teaching a method of inner practice: the seeker uses the strength of sacred recitation to kindle meditation, while cultivating ethical purification and restraint, preparing for deeper yogic absorption.