Śrī–Indra–Bali Saṃvāda: The Departure and Fourfold Placement of Lakṣmī
इति सम्यड्मनस्येते बहव: सन्ति हेतव: । एतदस्तीदमस्तीति न किज्वचित्प्रतिदृश्यते
iti samyaṅ-manasy ete bahavaḥ santi hetavaḥ | etad astīdam astīti na kiñcit kvacit pratidṛśyate ||
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ເມື່ອຈິດຕັ້ງໃຈພິຈາລະນາ ເຫດຜົນຫຼາຍສາຍກໍເກີດຂຶ້ນ. ແຕ່ຈາກຂໍ້ໂຕ້ຖຽງ ແລະ ຂໍ້ໂຕ້ກັບນັ້ນ ບໍ່ມີສິ່ງໃດປາກົດຊັດເຈນຢູ່ໃສໆ ທີ່ຈະຕັດສິນໄດ້ວ່າ ‘ນີ້ມີ’ ຫຼື ‘ນີ້ບໍ່ມີ’—ໂດຍສະເພາະເລື່ອງອັດຕາ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ຢ່າເຂົ້າໃຈຜິດວ່າການໂຕ້ຖຽງແມ່ນປັນຍາແທ້.»
भीष्म उवाच
Bhishma highlights the limits of purely intellectual argument: many reasons can be produced on both sides, yet they may not yield decisive perception of truth—especially about the self. True understanding requires more than debate; it calls for deeper discernment and reliable means of knowledge.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhishma continues his philosophical counsel, cautioning that mental disputation generates numerous arguments but does not by itself settle the question of existence or non-existence (notably of the self).