Mahabharata — Shanti Parva, Shloka 14
अहमात्मानमात्मस्थो मार्गमाणो55त्मनो गतिम् । वासार्थिन महाप्रज्ञं चलच्चित्तमुपास्मि ह
aham ātmānam ātmastho mārgaṇo ’tmanaḥ gatim | vāsārthin mahāprājñaṃ calacittam upāsmi ha ||
婆罗门说道：“我已从诸境退摄，安住于自我之中，寻求个体灵魂的至上归趣——梵（Brahman），至高之我。然而我仍在‘侍奉’这颗躁动之心：它极其机敏，却总想在居家之业中寻得栖处。故而我既不为贪著所缚，也不为厌离所定；我追求内在的解脱，同时承认心之习气仍在流转。”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when one turns away from sense-objects and seeks the highest realization (ātmanaḥ gati), the mind remains restless and habit-driven. The teaching is to recognize this instability without falling into either attachment or aversion, and to continue disciplined inner practice—observing, training, and redirecting the mind toward the Self.
A Brahmin speaker describes his inner state: he is engaged in the quest for the supreme Self while simultaneously dealing with a clever, wandering mind that keeps inclining toward ‘dwelling’ in worldly life. He frames this as a lived tension of spiritual pursuit—neither indulgence nor hatred, but ongoing practice amid mental fluctuation.