Shloka 26
Prahlāda–Indra Saṃvāda: Kartṛtva (Agency) and Svabhāva (Nature) in the Causation of Karma
पृथक्त्वात् सम्प्रयोगाच्च नासूयुरवेद शाश्वतम् । स तयोरपवर्गज्ञो वीतरागो विमुच्यते
pṛthaktvāt samprayogāc ca nāsūyur aveda śāśvatam | sa tayor apavargajño vītarāgo vimucyate ||
Bhīṣma bersabda: Karena śāstra berbicara dengan dua cara—kadang tentang keterpisahan ātman, kadang tentang penyatuannya—janganlah mencari-cari cela saat melihat pertentangan yang tampak ini, melainkan tangkaplah kebijaksanaan yang kekal. Ia yang memahami maksud kedua jenis pernyataan itu dan mengetahui asas pembebasan, menjadi tanpa keterikatan dan lepas dari belenggu dunia.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not criticize the śāstra when it presents both difference and unity between jīva and the Supreme; understand their intended purport together. One who grasps this synthesis knows the truth of liberation (apavarga) and, becoming free from attachment (vītarāga), is freed from saṃsāra.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma is teaching Yudhiṣṭhira about liberation-oriented wisdom. Here he addresses how to read seemingly divergent scriptural statements—difference versus union—without fault-finding, and how correct understanding leads to detachment and release.