Shloka 11
Yoga, Nārāyaṇa as Supreme Principle, and the Emanation of Categories
Sāṅkhya-Yoga Outline
न हि खल्वनुपायेन कश्रिदर्थोडभिसिद्धाति । सूत्रजालैर्यथा मत्स्यान् बध्नन्ति जलजीविन:
na hi khalv anupāyena kaścid artho ’bhisidhyati | sūtrajālair yathā matsyān badhnanti jalajīvinaḥ ||
Bhishma dit : Nul but ne s’accomplit sans un moyen approprié. De même que ceux qui vivent des créatures des eaux prennent les poissons en jetant des filets de fil, de même toute chose connaissable n’est saisie que par l’instrument convenable—la connaissance—appliqué comme il se doit.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that success depends on upāya—an appropriate means or method. Goals are not reached by mere desire; one must apply the right instrument to the task, and in matters of understanding, that instrument is disciplined knowledge.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction to Yudhishthira, Bhishma continues his didactic discourse on right conduct and effective action. Here he uses a concrete analogy—fish caught by thread-nets—to illustrate that every result requires a suitable method, and that knowing is achieved through the proper means of knowledge.