Shloka 53
मनु-उपदेशः — भूत-उत्पत्ति, इन्द्रिय-निवृत्ति, तथा पर-स्वभाव-विवेकः
Manu’s Instruction on Elemental Origination, Sense-Withdrawal, and Discrimination of the Supreme Nature
मलिनाः: प्राप्तुयु: शुद्धि यथा पूर्णा नदीं नरा: । अवगाहा सुविद्धांसो विद्धि ज्ञानमिदं तथा
malināḥ prāptuyuḥ śuddhiṃ yathā pūrṇāṃ nadīṃ narāḥ | avagāhā suvidvāṃso viddhi jñānam idaṃ tathā ||
Sebagaimana orang yang tubuhnya kotor menjadi bersih dengan mandi di sungai yang penuh air, demikian pula pahamilah: dengan menyelam dalam sungai pengetahuan ini, bahkan mereka yang batinnya ternoda pun disucikan dan dianugerahi pemahaman sejati.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Knowledge functions like a purifying river: sincere immersion in true understanding cleanses inner defilements (mental impurity) and leads to clarity and wisdom, supporting righteous conduct.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction to Yudhishthira, Bhishma uses a vivid analogy—bathing in a full river—to explain how engagement with liberating knowledge purifies a person and makes them truly learned.