Shloka 8
Adhyāya 249 — Mṛtyu-prādurbhāvaḥ (The Manifestation of Death) / Restraint of Tejas and Ordered Saṃhāra
यथा पुष्पफलोपेतो बहुशाखो महाद्रुम: । आत्मनो नाभिजानीते क्व मे पुष्पं क्व मे फलम्
yathā puṣpaphalopeto bahuśākho mahādrumaḥ | ātmano nābhijānīte kva me puṣpaṃ kva me phalam ||
Seperti pohon besar yang sarat bunga dan buah serta bercabang banyak, namun tidak mengetahui tentang dirinya, “Di manakah bungaku, di manakah buahku?”, demikian pula jiwa-jasmani tidak mengetahui, “Dari mana aku datang, dan ke mana aku akan pergi?”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the embodied individual self lacks full knowledge of its own origin, destiny, and inner workings—like a tree unaware of where its own flowers and fruits are—while an inner, distinct witnessing Self (antarātmā) remains continuously aware of all states. Ethically, it points toward humility, self-inquiry, and reliance on inner discernment rather than egoic certainty.
In the Śānti Parva’s reflective instruction, Vyāsa uses a natural metaphor (a great tree with many branches) to explain a subtle psychological and metaphysical point: the jīva’s limited self-knowledge contrasted with the ever-present inner witness within the body.