Shloka 8

Devanagari script

हेतूनामन्तमासाद्य विपुलं ज्ञानमुत्तमम्‌

Transliteration

hetūnām antam āsādya vipulaṁ jñānam uttamam |

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「ただの理屈と論争が尽き果てたとき、広大にして最上の知が得られる。その知こそが、全世界にとって最高の光である。王よ、裸の論理から生じるものは真の知ではなく、権威として仰ぐべきではない。ヴェーダに根ざさぬいかなる『知』も捨て去るがよい。」

Word by Word

• हेतूनाम्: of reasons/arguments
• हेतूनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अन्तम्: end, limit
• अन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आसाद्य: having reached/attained
• आसाद्य: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• विपुलम्: vast, abundant
• विपुलम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उत्तमम्: supreme, best
• उत्तमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Rājan (Yudhiṣṭhira, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that reasoning has limits: true, reliable knowledge is ‘supreme’ when it transcends endless argument and is aligned with śruti (the Veda). Mere logical constructions, without Vedic grounding, should not be treated as authoritative.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) on dharma and right understanding, emphasizing that scriptural testimony and realized wisdom outrank purely argumentative logic.