तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ ।पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ॥
tasmāt tvam indriyāṇy ādau niyamya bharatarṣabha |pāpmānaṃ prajahi hy enaṃ jñānavijñānanāśanam ||
- तस्मात् · tasmāt
- therefore
- त्वम् · tvam
- you
- इन्द्रियाणि · indriyāṇi
- the senses
- आदौ · ādau
- first, at the outset
- नियम्य · niyamya
- having controlled
- भरतर्षभ · bharatarṣabha
- O best of Bharatas
- पाप्मानम् · pāpmānam
- the evil one
- प्रजहि · prajahi
- slay, destroy
- हि · hi
- indeed
- एनम् · enam
- this
- ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् · jñānavijñānanāśanam
- destroyer of wisdom and realization
“Therefore, first controlling the senses, O best of Bharatas, slay this evil thing — the destroyer of wisdom and realization.”
— Original plain-language translation
Strike at the outermost fortress first: sense-control is the opening move, not the whole war. Jñāna (learning) and vijñāna (lived realization) are both its prey, so both need defense. Discipline of the gates precedes the deeper battle within.
— Reader's notes (original)