Shloka 1
Jñāna-plava (The Raft of Knowledge): Svabhāva, Prajñā, and the Ascent to Ātmajñāna
हि ही बछ। हि मा एकोनत्रिशर्दाधिकद्धिशततमो< ध्याय: जैगीषव्यका असित-देवलको समत्वबुद्धिका उपदेश युधिछिर उवाच किंशील: किंसमाचार: किंविद्य: किंपराक्रम: । प्राप्रोति ब्रह्मण: स्थान यत्परं प्रकृतेर्ध्ुवम्
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | kiṃśīlaḥ kiṃsamācāraḥ kiṃvidyaḥ kiṃparākramaḥ | prāpnoti brahmaṇaḥ sthānaṃ yat paraṃ prakṛter dhruvam ||
Yudhiṣṭhira bertanya: “Wahai Pitāmaha! Watak seperti apa, laku seperti apa, pengetahuan seperti apa, dan kekuatan disiplin seperti apa yang membuat seseorang mencapai kedudukan Brahman—yang tertinggi, melampaui Prakriti, dan tak binasa?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames liberation as dependent on an integrated fourfold qualification—ethical character (śīla), disciplined conduct (samācāra), liberating knowledge (vidyā), and steadfast strength/effort (parākrama)—leading to realization of the imperishable Brahman beyond prakṛti.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction setting, Yudhiṣṭhira asks the elder teacher (contextually Bhīṣma) to define the qualities and way of life by which a person transcends material nature and attains the supreme Brahman-state.