Shloka 3
भरद्वाज उवाच अग्नेर्यथा तथा तस्य यदि नाशो न विद्यते | इन्धनस्योपयोगान्ते स चाग्नि्नोपलभ्यते,भरद्वाजने पूछा--भगवन्! यदि अग्निके समान जीवका नाश नहीं होता तो ईंधनके जल जानेपर वह भी तो बुझ ही जाती है; फिर उसकी तो उपलब्धि नहीं होती है
bharadvāja uvāca | agner yathā tathā tasya yadi nāśo na vidyate | indhanasyopayogānte sa cāgnir nopalabhyate ||
ພາຣະດວາຊະກ່າວວ່າ: “ຖ້າຊີວະບໍ່ພິນາດເຫມືອນໄຟ ແທ້ໆ, ເມື່ອໄມ້ຟືນຖືກໃຊ້ຈົນໝົດ ແລະຈຸດປະສົງສິ້ນສຸດ ເປັນຫຍັງໄຟນັ້ນຈຶ່ງບໍ່ປາກົດອີກ? ໃນທຳນອງດຽວກັນ, ຖ້າກ່າວວ່າຜູ້ມີຊີວິດບໍ່ອາດຖືກທຳລາຍ, ເມື່ອຖານຮອງຮັບຂອງຮ່າງກາຍຫມົດສິ້ນ ຈະຮູ້ໄດ້ແນວໃດວ່າມັນຍັງດຳລົງຢູ່?”
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an epistemic challenge: even if something is said to be imperishable (like fire as a principle), it may become unperceived when its supporting conditions (fuel) are exhausted. Bharadvāja presses the teacher to explain how the self’s non-destruction can be reconciled with the apparent disappearance at death—distinguishing reality from mere perceptibility.
In a philosophical dialogue in Śānti Parva, Bharadvāja raises a doubt using the example of fire: when fuel is consumed, fire is no longer seen. He asks how, by analogy, one can claim the jīva/ātman does not perish if it is not apprehended once the body’s sustaining factors end.