Shloka 55
Sanatsujāta–Dhṛtarāṣṭra Saṃvāda: Pramāda as Mṛtyu
Chapter 42
धामांशभागस्य तथा हि वेदा यथा च शाखा हि महीरुहस्य । संवेदने चैव यथा55मनन्ति तस्मिन् हि सत्ये परमात्मनो<र्थे
dhāmāṁśa-bhāgasya tathā hi vedā yathā ca śākhā hi mahīruhasya | saṁvedane caiva yathā mananti tasmin hi satye paramātmano 'rthe ||
Sanatsujāta said: Just as one points to a branch of a great tree to indicate a subtle portion of its substance, so too the Vedas are employed only as a means of making known that Truth—the supreme Self. Thus do the wise understand: the scriptures serve as indicators toward the highest reality, not as the reality itself.
सनत्युजात उवाच
Educational Q&A
The Vedas function as indicators that guide the seeker toward realization of the supreme Truth (paramātman); they are like a pointing gesture (a branch shown to indicate something subtle), not the final reality itself.
In the Sanatsujātīya section of the Udyoga Parva, Sanatsujāta instructs Dhṛtarāṣṭra on the highest good. Here he explains the role of scripture: it is a means for awakening knowledge of the Supreme Self.