Shloka 10
Adhyāya 241: Guṇa-sṛṣṭi, Kṣetrajña-sākṣitva, and Śama through Ātma-jñāna (गुणसृष्टिः, क्षेत्रज्ञसाक्षित्वं, शमः)
ये सम बुद्धि परां प्राप्ता धर्मनैपुण्यदर्शिन: । नते कर्म प्रशंसन्ति कूपं नद्यां पिबन्निव
ye sama-buddhi-parāṁ prāptā dharma-naipuṇya-darśinaḥ | na te karma praśaṁsanti kūpaṁ nadyāṁ pibann iva ||
Dijo Bhishma: Pero quienes han alcanzado la más alta ecuanimidad y disciernen con claridad la sutil destreza del dharma no ensalzan la acción ritual como suprema; como quien bebe cada día de un río caudaloso no estima un pozo.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
When higher, steady insight into dharma is attained, ritual or action (karma) is no longer treated as the ultimate means; it becomes secondary to realized understanding—illustrated by the river (abundant direct source) making the well (limited source) comparatively insignificant.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira by contrasting ordinary reliance on prescribed actions with the standpoint of those established in higher knowledge, using a simple everyday metaphor of drinking from a river versus valuing a well.