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Shloka 15

Śānti-parva 206: Guṇa-hetu Moha, Kāma-krodha Chain, Indriya-utpatti, and Nirodha

अविनाशी विष्णु ही परबत्रह्म कहे जाते हैं। वे ही परमधाम और परमपद हैं। उन्हें प्राप्त कर लेनेपर जीव कालके राज्यसे मुक्त हो मोक्षधाममें स्थित हो जाते हैं ।।

avināśī viṣṇur hi parabrahma kathyate | sa eva paramadhāma paramapadaṃ ca | taṃ prāpya jīvaḥ kālarājyāt pramucyate mokṣadhāmni ca tiṣṭhati || guṇeṣv ete prakāśante nirguṇatvāt tataḥ param | nivṛttilakṣaṇo dharmas tathā anantyāya kalpate ||

Bhishma dijo: El imperecedero Vishnu es proclamado como el Brahman Supremo. Sólo Él es la morada más alta y el estado supremo. Al alcanzarlo, el ser queda libre del dominio del Tiempo y se establece en el reino de la liberación. Los seres aparecen como manifestados dentro de las guṇas—por su vínculo con los efectos de las guṇas, como el cuerpo y la mente—; pero el Ser Supremo, por estar más allá de los atributos, permanece absolutamente más allá de ellas. El dharma caracterizado por el retiro (nivṛtti)—la acción sin ansia, con renuncia y sin afán de posesión—tiene el poder de conducir al estado imperecedero del mokṣa.

गुणेषुin the qualities (gunas)
गुणेषु:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootगुण
FormMasculine, Locative, Plural
एतेthese
एते:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
प्रकाशन्तेappear, manifest
प्रकाशन्ते:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-काश्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Atmanepada
निर्गुणत्वात्because of (His) being without qualities
निर्गुणत्वात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootनिर्गुणत्व
FormNeuter, Ablative, Singular
ततःtherefore; from that
ततः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः
परम्higher, beyond
परम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootपर
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
निवृत्ति-लक्षणःhaving cessation/withdrawal as its mark
निवृत्ति-लक्षणः:
TypeAdjective
Rootनिवृत्तिलक्षण
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
धर्मःdharma; duty/way
धर्मः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तथाthus; likewise
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
अनन्त्यायfor endlessness; for the infinite state
अनन्त्याय:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootअनन्त्य
FormNeuter, Dative, Singular
कल्पतेis fit/adequate; leads to
कल्पते:
TypeVerb
Rootकॢप्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma
V
Vishnu
B
Brahman (Parabrahman)
J
Jiva (individual being)
K
Kala (Time)

Educational Q&A

The verse teaches that Vishnu, identified with the Supreme Brahman, is beyond the guṇas and is the highest goal. Liberation comes by attaining Him, which frees the jīva from the dominion of Time. The practical means emphasized is nivṛtti-lakṣaṇa dharma—renunciatory, non-attached action and inner withdrawal from craving—leading to the imperishable state (mokṣa).

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction to Yudhishthira, Bhishma continues his discourse on mokṣa and the highest dharma. Here he identifies the supreme reality as Vishnu/Parabrahman, contrasts the jīva’s manifestation within guṇas with the Lord’s nirguṇa transcendence, and points to nivṛtti-oriented dharma as the path to liberation.