Shloka 9
ज्योति: सर्वस्य लोकस्य विपुल प्रतिपद्यते । न त्वेव गमन॑ राजन् हेतुतो गमनं तथा । अग्राह्मुमनिबद्धं च वाचा सम्परिवर्जयेत्
jyotiḥ sarvasya lokasya vipula pratipadyate | na tveva gamanaṁ rājan hetuto gamanaṁ tathā | agrāhyam anibaddhaṁ ca vācā samparivarjayet |
Pengetahuan yang melimpah itu menjadi cahaya bagi seluruh dunia. Namun, wahai raja, apa yang dicapai semata-mata lewat argumentasi bukanlah ‘perjalanan’ menuju kebenaran yang dapat diandalkan. Karena itu, hendaknya seseorang menjauhi—bahkan dalam ucapan—segala yang tak layak diterima dan tak berlandaskan ajaran yang sahih.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that mere logical argument (hetu/tarka) is not sufficient as a final authority for truth; genuine knowledge is a ‘light’ for the world and should be grounded in reliable pramāṇa—here, especially what is established by Vedic/scriptural authority—while unfounded or inadmissible claims should be avoided even in speech.
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma, lying on the bed of arrows, continues instructing King Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. In this verse he cautions the king against treating bare reasoning as definitive knowledge and urges adherence to authoritative, well-established teachings.