Shloka 73
तत्परेणैव नान्येन शक््यं होतस्य दर्शनम् । किंतु वे बालक हैं। अहंकारवश अपनेको पण्डित मानते हैं। अतः वे जो पूर्वोक्त निश्चय करते हैं
tatpareṇaiva nānyena śakyaṃ hotasya darśanam |
Bhīṣma said: The vision of that supreme reality cannot be attained by any other means than single-minded dedication to it. Only the one who abandons sloth, practices yoga over a long period, and strives continuously for direct realization can behold that truth; no one else can. Mere reliance on sense-perception is inadequate for deciding what is real—just as the blueness seen in the sky appears directly yet is ultimately illusory. Therefore, in matters such as dharma, God, and the hereafter, scriptural testimony is the highest authority, since other means of knowledge cannot reach that domain. And if one asks how Brahman alone can be the cause of the world, the answer is: through sustained yogic discipline and ceaseless effort toward realization, while responsibly maintaining one’s life, the seeker comes to direct insight.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Direct realization of the supreme truth is possible only through sustained, single-minded spiritual discipline (yoga) and persistent effort; sense-perception alone cannot adjudicate realities beyond its reach, so śāstra is authoritative regarding dharma, God, and the afterlife.
Bhīṣma instructs the listener by critiquing overconfidence in mere perception and intellectual pride, using the example of the sky’s apparent blueness to show perceptual error, and then prescribing long-term yogic practice and steady striving as the means to ‘see’ Brahman.