Shloka 29
अग्नीषोमोत्पत्तिः
Agni–Soma Origin and the Brahmāgnīṣomīya Doctrine
आदर्शे स्वामिव च्छायां पश्यस्यात्मानमात्मना | व्यस्यात्मनि स्वयं वेदान् बुद्धया समनुचिन्तय
ādarśe svām iva chāyāṁ paśyasy ātmānam ātmanā | vyasyātmani svayaṁ vedān buddhayā samanucintaya |
Bhīṣma dit : «De même qu’un homme voit son reflet dans un miroir, ainsi dois‑tu percevoir le Soi par le Soi—par une intelligence limpide. Établis donc les Veda en ton propre être, et, par ton entendement, médite avec soin sur le subtil “vent” (vāyu) qui devient la cause du non‑étude et de la distraction.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Self-realization is to be approached as directly and clearly as seeing one’s reflection in a mirror: by turning discerning intelligence (buddhi) inward. One should internalize sacred knowledge (the Vedas) and then contemplate the subtle forces—symbolized by vāyu (restless movement/prāṇa)—that disturb steadiness and lead to interruption of study and inner clarity.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs the listener in a reflective, renunciant mode of dharma: he uses an everyday image (mirror and reflection) to explain inward perception of the Self, and he advises disciplined contemplation on factors that obstruct learning and spiritual practice, framed here as the ‘wind’ associated with distraction and anadhyāya (cessation of study).