Shloka 27
प्रजापतयः देवगणाश्च दिशि-दिशि स्थिताः ऋषयः
Prajāpatis, Deva-Groups, and the Ṛṣis Assigned to the Directions
न स्त्री पुमान् नापि नपुंसकं च न सन्न चासत् सदसच्च तन्न । पश्यन्ति यद् ब्रह्मविदो मनुष्या- स्तदक्षरं न क्षरतीति विद्धि
na strī pumān nāpi napuṁsakaṁ ca na san na cāsat sadasac ca tan na | paśyanti yad brahmavido manuṣyās tad akṣaraṁ na kṣaratīti viddhi ||
Bhishma lehrt, dass das höchste Brahman jenseits aller begrenzenden Kategorien ist: weder Frau noch Mann noch Neutrum; weder Sein noch Nichtsein noch eine Mischung aus beidem. Nur wer Brahman wahrhaft kennt, schaut es unmittelbar. Und weil es niemals schwindet oder vergeht, begreife, dass es das Unvergängliche (Akṣara) genannt wird.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The ultimate reality (Brahman) transcends all conceptual oppositions—gender, existence/non-existence, and mixed categories. It is directly realized by Brahman-knowers and is called Akṣara because it does not decay or perish.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation, Bhishma continues his philosophical teaching to Yudhishthira, defining the nature of the supreme principle as beyond attributes and therefore imperishable.