Shloka 113
छिन्नं तु तन्तुबाहुल्यं तन्तुरेको5वशेषितः
chinnaṃ tu tantubāhulyaṃ tantur eko 'vaśeṣitaḥ
Bhishma said: “Though the multitude of threads has been cut away, a single thread still remains.” In ethical context, the image suggests that when many entangling ties are severed, one subtle residual attachment or causal link may persist and must be recognized and addressed for complete freedom.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even after cutting off many external bonds and distractions, a subtle remaining attachment or latent tendency can persist; true liberation or steadiness in dharma requires noticing and removing that final residual tie.
In Bhishma’s instruction during the Shanti Parva, he uses a compact metaphor of threads: many strands have been cut, yet one strand remains—illustrating the persistence of a final, subtle connection that still binds.