Shloka 41
Vyaktāvyakta-Viveka and Nivṛtti as Paramā Gati
Manifest–Unmanifest Discrimination and the Supreme Path of Withdrawal
अग्निदरिंगतो यद्वद् भिन्ने दारौ न दृश्यते । तथैवात्मा शरीरस्थो योगेनैवानुदृश्यते
agnir dāru-gato yadvat bhinne dārau na dṛśyate | tathaivātmā śarīra-stho yogenaivānudṛśyate ||
Bhīṣma explica que, así como el fuego, aunque impregna un trozo de madera, no se ve ni siquiera cuando la madera se parte, del mismo modo el Ser mora en el cuerpo y, sin embargo, no es visible de manera directa. Solo se lo aprehende mediante el yoga: una práctica interior disciplinada que hace manifiesta la realidad inmanente, como el fuego se hace evidente en la madera por medios apropiados.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The Self is present within the body but is not an object of ordinary perception; it is realized through yoga—disciplined practice that refines attention and insight—just as hidden fire in wood becomes evident only through the proper method.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, Bhīṣma is teaching Yudhiṣṭhira about inner knowledge: he uses a concrete analogy (fire hidden in wood) to clarify why the ātman is not seen by mere physical examination and why yogic practice is required for direct realization.