Shloka 11
उशनसः (शुक्रस्य) चरितम् — The Account of Uśanā (Śukra): Yoga, Grievance, and Pacification
ज्ञानेन हि यदा जन्तुरज्ञानप्रभवं तम: । व्यपोहति तदा ब्रह्म प्रकाशति सनातनम्,जब जीव तत्त्वज्ञानद्वारा अज्ञानजनित अन्धकारको दूर कर देता है, तब उसके हृदयमें सनातन ब्रह्म प्रकाशित हो जाता है
jñānena hi yadā jantur ajñāna-prabhavaṁ tamaḥ | vyapohati tadā brahma prakāśati sanātanam ||
Bhīṣma said: When a living being, through true knowledge, dispels the darkness that arises from ignorance, then the eternal Brahman becomes manifest within—shining forth in the heart. The ethical thrust is that inner liberation is achieved not by external force but by removing ignorance through discernment and right understanding.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ignorance is portrayed as inner darkness; when it is removed by jñāna (true discriminative knowledge), Brahman—the eternal reality—naturally reveals itself. Liberation is thus framed as a cognitive-spiritual transformation rather than an external acquisition.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation, Bhīṣma is teaching Yudhiṣṭhira about the means to inner peace and ultimate freedom. Here he emphasizes knowledge as the direct remover of ignorance, leading to the manifestation of Brahman.