Shloka 24
अध्यात्म-तत्त्व-निर्णयः
Adhyātma Taxonomy: Elements, Faculties, and Guṇas
शकुन्तानामिवाकाशे मत्स्यानामिव चोदके । यथा गतिर्न दृश्येत तथा ज्ञानविदां गति:
śakuntānām ivākāśe matsyānām iva codake | yathā gatir na dṛśyeta tathā jñānavidāṃ gatiḥ ||
Vyāsa said: Just as the tracks of birds are not seen in the sky, and the tracks of fish are not seen in water, so too the course of those established in wisdom cannot be traced by others.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The realized person’s true ‘gati’—their inner trajectory and spiritual standing—cannot be inferred from external signs. Like birds and fish leaving no footprints in their natural elements, the wise act without leaving binding traces (karma-markers) born of attachment, so ordinary observers cannot easily judge or measure them.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Vyāsa delivers a reflective teaching using a natural metaphor. He contrasts visible worldly traces with the subtle, inwardly grounded movement of the jñānī, emphasizing that the sage’s real direction and attainment are not publicly legible.