Shloka 8
हेतूनामन्तमासाद्य विपुलं ज्ञानमुत्तमम्
hetūnām antam āsādya vipulaṁ jñānam uttamam |
Bhishma said: “When one reaches the end of mere reasons and disputation, one attains vast and supreme knowledge. That knowledge alone is the highest light for the whole world. O king, what is produced by bare logic is not truly knowledge and should not be treated as authoritative; it is right to abandon any ‘knowledge’ that is not grounded in the Veda.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that reasoning has limits: true, reliable knowledge is ‘supreme’ when it transcends endless argument and is aligned with śruti (the Veda). Mere logical constructions, without Vedic grounding, should not be treated as authoritative.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) on dharma and right understanding, emphasizing that scriptural testimony and realized wisdom outrank purely argumentative logic.