Shloka 2
भृगु–भरद्वाजसंवादः: वर्णभेदस्य कर्माधारितव्याख्या
Bhrigu–Bharadvaja Dialogue: A Karma-Based Account of Varṇa
भीष्म उवाच प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठा भूतानां प्रज्ञा लाभ: परो मत: । प्रज्ञा नि:श्रेयसी लोके प्रज्ञा स्वर्गो मत: सताम्
bhīṣma uvāca | prajñā pratiṣṭhā bhūtānāṃ prajñā lābhaḥ paro mataḥ | prajñā niḥśreyasī loke prajñā svargo mataḥ satām ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Ô roi, la sagesse est le fondement solide de tous les êtres ; on la tient pour leur gain le plus élevé. En ce monde, c’est la sagesse qui mène au vrai bien, et selon le jugement des vertueux, la sagesse elle-même est le ciel.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that prajñā (discerning wisdom) is the primary support of life and the greatest human profit: it brings niḥśreyasa (true welfare, the highest good) and is valued by the virtuous as equivalent to heaven itself.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising the king (Yudhishthira) on principles of right living and governance, emphasizing that wisdom is the essential basis for well-being and moral success.