Shloka 2
तदेव च यथा सूत्र सुवर्णे वर्तते पुनः । मुक्तास्वथ प्रवालेषु मृन्मये राजते तथा
tadeva ca yathā sūtraṃ suvarṇe vartate punaḥ | muktāsv atha pravāleṣu mṛṇmaye rājate tathā ||
Bhīṣma said: “Just as the very same thread is again found running through gold, so too it shines when set among pearls and corals, and likewise even in an earthen setting. In the same way, the one underlying principle remains the same while appearing in different forms and conditions; its worth is not diminished by the outward medium.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A single underlying essence or principle remains the same across different external forms and circumstances—like one thread that can be seen in gold, pearls, coral, or even clay—so ethical truth should be sought in the inner continuity rather than judged by outward appearance.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma continues his instruction by using a vivid material metaphor: he points to a thread that can be strung through precious and non-precious substances alike, illustrating how one principle can pervade varied contexts without changing in itself.