Shloka 3
अज्ञानान्निरयं याति तथाज्ञानेन दुर्गतिम् अज्ञानात् क््लेशमाप्रोति तथापत्सु निमज्जति,अज्ञानसे ही जीव नरकमें पड़ता है। अज्ञानसे ही उसकी दुर्गति होती है, अज्ञानसे वह कष्ट उठाता तथा विपत्तियोंके समुद्रमें डूब जाता है
ajñānān nirayaṃ yāti tathājñānena durgatim | ajñānāt kleśam āpnoti tathāpatsu nimajjati ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Durch Unwissenheit gelangt der Mensch in die Hölle; durch dieselbe Unwissenheit findet er ein böses Ende. Aus Unwissenheit erwächst Leiden, und aus Unwissenheit versinkt er in Unheil, als ertränke er in einem Meer der Bedrängnis.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ignorance (ajñāna)—lack of right discernment about dharma and reality—is presented as the root cause of moral downfall: it leads to hellish suffering, a ruined end, and repeated distress. The verse urges cultivation of knowledge and clarity as protection against ruin.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on ethical and spiritual foundations after the war. Here he emphasizes that ignorance is the underlying cause behind a person’s suffering and misfortune, framing it as a key obstacle to welfare and liberation.