Shloka 6
Yoga, Nārāyaṇa as Supreme Principle, and the Emanation of Categories
Sāṅkhya-Yoga Outline
यथा हिमवत: पार्श्व॑ पृष्ठ चन्द्रमसो यथा । न दृष्टपूर्व मनुजैर्न च तन्नास्ति तावता
bhīṣma uvāca | yathā himavataḥ pārśvaṁ pṛṣṭhaṁ candramaso yathā | na dṛṣṭapūrvaṁ manuṣyair na ca tan nāsti tāvatā ||
Bhīṣma bersabda: Seperti halnya manusia belum pernah melihat sisi seberang Himalaya maupun bagian belakang bulan, namun karena itu orang tidak dapat menyimpulkan bahwa sisi-sisi itu tidak ada—demikian pula Ātman yang bersemayam dalam semua makhluk, Sang Penguasa Batin (antaryāmin), berhakikat kesadaran dan amat halus; karena tidak terlihat oleh mata, janganlah dikatakan bahwa Ātman tidak ada.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Non-perception is not non-existence: the Self (Ātman), present within all beings as the inner ruler and of the nature of consciousness, is too subtle for the eyes; therefore its invisibility cannot be used to deny its reality.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and higher knowledge, Bhishma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira using a concrete analogy (unseen sides of the Himalaya and the moon) to argue that the indwelling Self exists even though it is not directly seen.