Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 6
तदसयुक्त व्यवस्यन्ति बाला: पण्डितमानिन: । अथ चेन्मन्यसे चैकं कारणं कि भवेदिति
tad asayuktaṁ vyavasyanti bālāḥ paṇḍitamāninaḥ | atha cen manyase caikaṁ kāraṇaṁ kiṁ bhaved iti, tatpareṇaiva nānyena śakyaṁ hotasya darśanam |
Bhīṣma dit : «Ceux qui sont encore immatures, mais se croient savants, tirent des conclusions mal liées à la vérité. Et si tu demandes : “Comment pourrait-il n’y avoir qu’une seule cause ?”, sache que la vision de ce principe ultime ne s’obtient par aucun autre moyen que l’effort dévoué qui s’y applique. Seul celui qui persévère dans une discipline et une ardeur continues peut le voir ; nul autre».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma warns that self-conceit in learning leads to incoherent conclusions, and that the deepest truth—especially about an ultimate cause—requires sustained, devoted discipline and direct realization rather than mere argument or superficial certainty.
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma continues instructing Yudhishthira on dharma and higher truth. Here he rebukes immature ‘know-it-alls’ and answers an objection about a single ultimate cause by emphasizing that such knowledge is gained through dedicated practice and realization.