Shloka 8
Yoga, Nārāyaṇa as Supreme Principle, and the Emanation of Categories
Sāṅkhya-Yoga Outline
पश्यन्नपि यथा लक्ष्म जगत् सोमे न विन्दति । एवमस्ति न चोत्पन्नं न च तन्न परायणम्
paśyann api yathā lakṣma jagat some na vindati | evam asti na cotpannaṃ na ca tan na parāyaṇam ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „So wie ein Mensch, obwohl er das Mal auf dem Mond sieht, es nicht als Zeichen erkennt, das zur Welt (das heißt zur Erde) gehört, ebenso ist das Empfinden ‚Ich bin‘ in allen gegenwärtig, doch es ist kein wahrhaft erwachtes Wissen. Darum nimmt der Mensch darin nicht Zuflucht als im letzten Grund.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma uses an analogy: mere perception or a common sense of ‘I am’ does not equal true knowledge. Like seeing the Moon’s spot without grasping its real reference, people have an ‘I’-sense but lack discriminative realization; therefore they do not (and should not) treat that unexamined ego-sense as the ultimate refuge.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira on higher dharma and inner wisdom. Here he illustrates how ordinary cognition can miss the deeper truth, preparing the listener for teachings that distinguish superficial self-notions from genuine spiritual insight.