Shloka 5
अश्वशिरो-आख्यानम्
Aśvaśiras / Hayaśiras Narrative: Retrieval of the Vedas
भीष्म उवाच गूढं मां प्रश्नवित् प्रश्न॑ं पृष्छसे त्वमिहानघ । न होतत् तर्कया शक््यं वक्तुं वर्षशतैरपि
bhīṣma uvāca: gūḍhaṃ māṃ praśnavit praśnaṃ pṛcchase tvam ihānagha | na hy etat tarkayā śakyaṃ vaktuṃ varṣaśatair api |
Bhishma said: “O sinless one, you are skilled in questioning, and here you ask me a profoundly hidden question. This cannot be adequately explained by reasoning alone—even over hundreds of years. Without the Lord’s grace or the guidance of knowledge-centered scripture, an answer to such matters is not attainable merely through logic.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma emphasizes that certain dharmic and metaphysical truths are too subtle to be reached by logic alone; they require the illumination of authoritative scripture and/or divine grace. Reasoning has a role, but it is not sufficient for the deepest questions.
In the Shanti Parva dialogue, Yudhishthira poses a very profound question. Bhishma begins his response by praising Yudhishthira’s discernment and warning that the topic is extremely subtle—so subtle that mere argument cannot settle it—before proceeding toward an explanation grounded in higher authority.