Shloka 4
Adhyāya 179 — Bharadvāja’s Reductionist Inquiry into Jīva and Pañcabhūta Dissolution
बोध्यं शान्तमृषिं राजा नाहुष: पर्यपृच्छत । निर्वेदाच्छान्तिमापन्नं शास्त्रप्रज्ञानतर्पितम्
bhīṣma uvāca |
bodhyaṁ śāntam ṛṣiṁ rājā nāhuṣaḥ paryapṛcchata |
nirvedāc chāntim āpannaṁ śāstra-prajñāna-tarpitam ||
ビーシュマは語った。ナフシャ王は、静謐なる見者ボーディヤ仙に問いかけた。彼は離欲によって安らぎに至り、諸シャーストラの最高の理解によって満ち足りていた。この場面は倫理の問いを立ち上げる――明晰さを求める王が、内なる鎮まりと経典の智により行いと正しい生の道を導くにふさわしい出家者のもとへ赴くのである。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse establishes the authority of spiritual counsel: true guidance on dharma is sought from one who is inwardly peaceful through dispassion (nirveda) and grounded in scriptural wisdom (śāstra-prajñāna). It implies that ethical clarity arises from both lived renunciation and right understanding.
Bhishma introduces a dialogue: King Nahusha approaches and questions the sage Bodhya, who is described as serene, dispassionate, and fulfilled by knowledge. This sets the stage for a didactic exchange on conduct and the path to peace.