Shloka 23
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 181 — Svayaṃvara Aftermath: Arjuna–Karna Exchange and Bhīma–Śalya Contest
वसिष्ठश्न महाभाग: सर्वमेतदवैक्षत । ज्ञानयोगेन महता तपसा च परंतप,शत्रुसूदन अर्जुन! महाभाग वसिष्ठजी अपनी बड़ी भारी तपस्या तथा ज्ञानयोगके प्रभावसे ये सब बातें जानते थे
Vasiṣṭhaḥ sa mahābhāgaḥ sarvam etad avaikṣata | jñānayogena mahatā tapasā ca parantapa ||
The illustrious sage Vasiṣṭha perceived and understood all these matters—through the great power of disciplined knowledge (jñāna-yoga) and through austerity. The verse underscores that true insight is earned by inner discipline and spiritual practice, not by mere hearsay or worldly status.
गन्धर्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
Authentic knowledge and moral authority arise from jñāna-yoga (disciplined insight) and tapas (austerity/self-control); a sage perceives truth through inner cultivation rather than external power.
The Gandharva states that the great sage Vasiṣṭha had already discerned all the relevant facts, because his spiritual disciplines—knowledge-yoga and austerity—gave him penetrating understanding.