Shloka 4
Yoga, Nārāyaṇa as Supreme Principle, and the Emanation of Categories
Sāṅkhya-Yoga Outline
न चक्षुषा पश्यति रूपमात्मनो न पश्यति स्पर्शनमिन्द्रियेन्द्रियम् । न श्रोत्रलिड्रं श्रवणेन दर्शन तथा कृतं पश्यति तद् विनश्यति
na cakṣuṣā paśyati rūpam ātmano na paśyati sparśanam indriyendriyam | na śrotrendriyaṁ śravaṇena darśanaṁ tathā kṛtaṁ paśyati tad vinaśyati ||
Bhīṣma bersabda: Wujud Sang Diri (Ātman) tidak terlihat oleh mata; kulit sebagai indra peraba pun tidak dapat menyentuh-Nya, sebab Ātman adalah daya batin yang menerangi indra-indra itu sendiri. Telinga pun tidak dapat menangkap-Nya melalui pendengaran, karena Ātman melampaui bunyi. Ketika Ātman disadari melalui pengetahuan pembedaan (viveka), maka sarana-sarana pengenalan biasa pun gugur, sebab yang ditangkap olehnya bersifat fana.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The ātman cannot be grasped as a sensory object: it is not visible, tangible, or audible, because it is the inner illuminator and controller of the senses. True realization arises through discriminative knowledge, and with that realization the ordinary means that operate on perishable objects lose their relevance.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on liberation-oriented dharma. Here he emphasizes an Upaniṣadic point: the Self is subtler than sensory perception, and spiritual insight requires turning from external objects toward inner discernment.