Shloka 7
Vyaktāvyakta-Viveka and Nivṛtti as Paramā Gati
Manifest–Unmanifest Discrimination and the Supreme Path of Withdrawal
वेदेषु चापि यद् वाक््यं लौकिकं व्यापकं च यत् । एतद् विद्वन् यथातत्त्वं सर्व व्याख्यातुमहसि,“वेदों और स्मृतियोंमें भी जो लौकिक और व्यापक धर्मोका वर्णन है, उनमें भी विषमता है। अतः विद्वन्! इन सबकी आप यथार्थरूपसे व्याख्या करें!
vedeṣu cāpi yad vākyaṃ laukikaṃ vyāpakaṃ ca yat | etad vidvan yathātattvaṃ sarvaṃ vyākhyātum arhasi ||
Bhishma said: “Even within the Vedas there are statements, and likewise teachings that are worldly in scope and broadly applicable. Yet in these too there appears to be inconsistency. Therefore, O learned one, you ought to explain all of this in accordance with the true reality—so that the meaning of these teachings may be properly understood.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That even authoritative sources like the Vedas (and by implication related dharma-teachings) can appear mutually inconsistent, so a wise interpreter must explain them 'yathātattvam'—in a way aligned with the underlying truth and intent, not merely by literal or isolated readings.
In the Shanti Parva’s dharma-discourse, Bhishma frames a problem of interpretive conflict: teachings that are worldly and broadly applicable, even when found in the Vedas, may seem uneven or contradictory. He calls upon the learned interlocutor to provide a coherent, reality-grounded explanation of all such statements.