Shloka 38
अध्याय १७८ — प्राणवायुगतिः तथा शारीराग्निव्यवस्था
Adhyāya 178 — The courses of prāṇa-vāyu and the regulation of the bodily fire
अतत्त्वज्ञोडसि बालश्न दुस्तोषो5पूरणोडनल: । नैव त्वं वेत्थ सुलभ नैव त्वं वेत्थ दुर्लभम्
atattvajño 'si bālaś ca dustoṣo 'pūraṇo 'nalaḥ | naiva tvaṃ vettha sulabhaṃ naiva tvaṃ vettha durlabham ||
ビーシュマは言った。「汝は真実を知らず、理解は幼子のごとく愚かである。汝を満足させるは難しく、満たされぬ火のようだ。何が得やすく、何が得がたいかを真に知らぬゆえに、汝の欲望と判断は誤りへと傾く。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Without knowledge of tattva (the real nature of things), a person becomes like an unquenchable fire—endlessly craving and unable to distinguish what is truly attainable or worth pursuing. Ethical life requires discernment and contentment grounded in right understanding.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction, Bhīṣma admonishes the listener, criticizing immature, reality-blind desire. He uses the metaphor of fire to show insatiability and warns that lack of discernment about the easy and the rare leads to restless, misguided striving.