Shloka 26

Devanagari script

पूर्वरात्रे परे चैव युज्जान: सततं मन: । लघ्वाहारो विशुद्धात्मा पश्यन्नात्मानमात्मनि,मनुष्यको चाहिये कि वह हलका भोजन करे और अन्तःकरणको शुद्ध रखे। रातके पहले और पिछले पहरमें सदा अपना मन परमात्माके चिन्तनमें लगावे। जो इस प्रकार निरन्तर अपने हृदयमें परमात्माके साक्षात्कारका अभ्यास करता है, वह प्रज्वलित दीपकके समान प्रकाशित होनेवाले अपने मनोमय प्रदीपके द्वारा निराकार परमेश्वरका साक्षात्कार करके तत्काल मुक्त हो जाता है

Transliteration

pūrvarātre pare caiva yuñjānaḥ satataṃ manaḥ | laghvāhāro viśuddhātmā paśyann ātmānam ātmani ||

Translation

于夜之初更与后更，当恒常摄心系于观想。少食而清净其内，观自我于自我之中。

Word by Word

पूर्वरात्रेin the earlier part of the night

परेin the later (part)

चand

एवindeed/just

युज्जानःengaging/applying (oneself)

सततम्constantly

मनःmind

लघ्वाहारःone of light diet

विशुद्धात्माone with purified inner self

पश्यन्seeing

आत्मानम्the Self

आत्मनिin the Self

Speaker

व्याध उवाच

Characters & Entities

vyādha (the hunter, speaker)

ātman (the Self)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Practice disciplined living—moderate food, purity of heart, and steady meditation especially in the quiet watches of night—so that one directly realizes the Self within and attains inner freedom.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Vyādha’s instruction on dharma, the hunter advises a seeker on practical yogic conduct: regulate diet, purify the mind, and repeatedly focus attention inward to realize the ātman.