Shloka 13
Yoga, Nārāyaṇa as Supreme Principle, and the Emanation of Categories
Sāṅkhya-Yoga Outline
अहिरेव हाहे: पादान् पश्यतीति हि नः श्रुतम् तद्वन्मूर्तिषु मूर्तिस्थं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानेन पश्यति,हमने सुना है कि सर्पके पैरोंको सर्प ही पहचानता है, उसी प्रकार मनुष्य समस्त शरीरोंमें शरीरस्थ ज्ञेयस्वरूप आत्माको ज्ञानके द्वारा ही जान सकता है
ahir eva hāheḥ pādān paśyatīti hi naḥ śrutam | tadvan mūrtiṣu mūrtisthaṃ jñeyaṃ jñānena paśyati ||
Dijo Bhishma: «Hemos oído que sólo una serpiente puede reconocer los pies de la serpiente. Del mismo modo, en todas las formas encarnadas, el Ser cognoscible que mora en el cuerpo se percibe únicamente mediante el verdadero conocimiento».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The indwelling Self (ātman), though present in every body, is not grasped by the senses or external observation; it is realized only through jñāna—disciplined insight and discriminative knowledge.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation, Bhishma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira using an analogy: just as a serpent alone can recognize the serpent’s (hidden/imperceptible) feet, only knowledge enables one to recognize the subtle Self within embodied beings.