Shloka 20
Vyaktāvyakta-Viveka and Nivṛtti as Paramā Gati
Manifest–Unmanifest Discrimination and the Supreme Path of Withdrawal
वेदविद् वेद भगवान् वेदाड़नि बृहस्पति: । भार्गवो नीतिशास्त्रं तु जगाद जगतो हितम्,उस समय स्वयं भगवान् ब्रह्माको वेदोंका, बृहस्पतिजीको वेदांगोंका और शुक्राचार्यको नीति-शास्त्रका ज्ञान हुआ तथा उन लोगोंने जगत्के हितके लिये उन सब विषयोंका उपदेश किया
vedavid veda bhagavān vedāṅgāni bṛhaspatiḥ | bhārgavo nītiśāstraṃ tu jagāda jagato hitam ||
Bhīṣma said: The Blessed Lord Brahmā, knower of the Veda, taught the Vedas; Bṛhaspati taught the Vedāṅgas; and Bhārgava (Śukra) expounded nītiśāstra, the science of polity and ethics—all for the welfare of the world.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That different branches of knowledge—Veda (spiritual revelation), Vedāṅgas (supporting disciplines), and nītiśāstra (ethical governance and policy)—were taught by authoritative teachers for the common good; learning is validated by its capacity to uphold dharma and promote universal welfare.
In Bhīṣma’s discourse on dharma and governance in the Śānti Parva, he recalls how foundational bodies of knowledge were transmitted: Brahmā taught the Vedas, Bṛhaspati taught the Vedāṅgas, and Śukra (Bhārgava) taught nītiśāstra, emphasizing their intended purpose—benefit of the world.