Shloka 17

अव्यक्त–व्यक्त–कारणकार्यविवेकः

Avyakta–Vyakta and Causality: Discrimination of Field and Knower

Devanagari script

बुद्धि: कर्मगुणैहीना यदा मनसि वर्तते । तदा सम्पद्यते ब्रह्म तत्रैव प्रलयं गतम्‌

Transliteration

buddhiḥ karmaguṇair hīnā yadā manasi vartate | tadā sampadyate brahma tatraiva pralayaṃ gatam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：当理智（buddhi）脱离由业行所生的诸种性质，而安住于心之内座时，个体之我便证得梵（Brahman）——就在彼处融入那至上实在。其伦理旨趣在于：解脱不在外在作为之多寡，而在于内心对业生习气的离著，以及澄定清净的觉知。

Word by Word

• बुद्धिः: intellect
• बुद्धिः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• कर्मगुणैः: by qualities born of action
• कर्मगुणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मगुण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• हीना: devoid (of)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• यदा: when
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा

• मनसि: in the mind/heart
• मनसि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वर्तते: abides, remains
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Present, Atmanepada, Third, Singular

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• सम्पद्यते: attains, becomes, reaches
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पद्
• Form: Present, Atmanepada, Third, Singular

• ब्रह्म: Brahman (the Absolute)
• ब्रह्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तत्र: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• प्रलयम्: dissolution, absorption
• प्रलयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गतम्: gone to, having reached
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Brahman

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Liberation occurs when buddhi (discriminative intellect) is freed from karma-born guṇas—habitual tendencies generated by action and attachment—and becomes inwardly steady; then the self is absorbed into Brahman.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira a contemplative doctrine: the culmination of spiritual practice is the mind’s inward stabilization and the dissolution of individuality into Brahman.