Shloka 30
अध्यात्म-तत्त्व-निर्णयः
Adhyātma Taxonomy: Elements, Faculties, and Guṇas
तदेवाणोरणुतरं तन््महद्धयो महत्तरम् । तदन्तःसर्वभूतानां ध्रुवं तिछन्न दृश्यते
tad evāṇor aṇutaraṃ tan mahaddhyo mahattaram | tad antaḥsarvabhūtānāṃ dhruvaṃ tiṣṭhan na dṛśyate ||
Vyāsa said: That Reality is subtler than the subtlest atom and greater than the greatest. It abides unfailingly within all beings, yet, though present in the very interior of life, it is not seen. The teaching points to the ethical inward turn: true discernment and self-restraint arise from recognizing the unseen indwelling Self rather than chasing outward appearances.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The supreme Self/Reality is simultaneously subtler than the subtlest and greater than the greatest; it dwells steadily within all beings but is not grasped by ordinary sight. One must turn inward through discrimination and discipline to realize it.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, Vyāsa delivers a metaphysical teaching: the indwelling principle present in every creature is invisible to the senses despite being ever-present.