Shloka 3
इन्द्र–बलि संवादः
The Dialogue of Indra and Bali on Fortune, Humility, and Restraint
ज्ञानाभ्यासाज्जागरणं जिज्ञासार्थमनन्तरम् | विज्ञानाभिनिवेशात्तु स जागर्त्यनिशं सदा,मनुष्यमें पहले तो ज्ञानका अभ्यास करनेसे जागनेकी आदत होती है, तत्पश्चात् विचार करनेके लिये जागना अनिवार्य हो जाता है तथा जो तत्त्वज्ञान प्राप्त कर लेता है, वह तो ब्रह्ममें निरन्तर जागता ही रहता है
jñānābhyāsāj jāgaraṇaṃ jijñāsārtham anantaram | vijñānābhiniveśāt tu sa jāgarty aniśaṃ sadā ||
Bhishma dijo: «Mediante la práctica reiterada del conocimiento verdadero, el hombre adquiere primero el hábito de una vigilia atenta. Luego, la vigilia se vuelve indispensable para indagar y reflexionar. Pero quien está firmemente establecido en la sabiduría realizada permanece continuamente despierto—sin cesar—morando en Brahman.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma outlines a progression: (1) disciplined study and practice of knowledge cultivates inner wakefulness, (2) that wakefulness matures into sustained inquiry (jijñāsā), and (3) when inquiry culminates in realized wisdom (vijñāna), one abides in constant spiritual alertness—steadfast in Brahman.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira by describing how a seeker’s inner life evolves from learning, to inquiry, to stable realization—using “wakefulness” as a metaphor for sustained awareness and freedom from ignorance.