Shloka 21

Śānti-parva 206: Guṇa-hetu Moha, Kāma-krodha Chain, Indriya-utpatti, and Nirodha

Devanagari script

विषयेषु च संसर्गाच्छा श्वतस्य च दर्शनात्‌ । मनसा चान्यदाकांक्षन्‌ परं न प्रतिपद्यते

Transliteration

viṣayeṣu ca saṃsargāc chāśvatasya ca darśanāt | manasā cānyad ākāṅkṣan paraṃ na pratipadyate ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：因长久与诸境相交，因观视无常之相，人虽内心另有所求，终不能证得至上。心被接触与表相牵引向外，便无法安住于那它隐约追寻的最高目标。

Word by Word

• विषयेषु: in sense-objects
• विषयेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• संसर्गात्: from contact/association
• संसर्गात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• श्वतस्य: of the dog
• श्वतस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वत
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• दर्शनात्: from seeing
• दर्शनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• मनसा: by/with the mind
• मनसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अन्यत्: something else
• अन्यत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आकाङ्क्षन्: desiring
• आकाङ्क्षन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + काङ्क्ष्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परम्: the highest (goal)
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• प्रतिपद्यते: attains/realizes
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + पद्
• Form: Lat (Present), Atmanepada, Third, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Attachment through repeated contact with sense-objects keeps the mind outward-turned; even if one vaguely yearns for a higher truth, one cannot realize the Supreme without withdrawing from habitual sensory entanglement and stabilizing the mind.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma continues his instruction on dharma and the path of inner peace, explaining why people fail to reach the highest goal: their minds remain bound to sensory association and to what they repeatedly perceive as desirable.