Shloka 161
Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment
Parāśara’s Instruction
या मूर्तय: सुसूक्ष्मास्ते न महां यान्ति दर्शनम् । त्राहि मां सततं रक्ष पिता पुत्रमिवौरसम्,आपके जो सूक्ष्म रूप हैं वे हमलोगोंकी दृष्टिमें नहीं आते। भगवन्! जैसे पिता अपने औरस पुत्रकी रक्षा करता है, उसी तरह आप सर्वदा मेरी रक्षा करें
yā mūrtayaḥ susūkṣmās te na mahān yānti darśanam | trāhi māṃ satataṃ rakṣa pitā putram ivaurasam ||
भीष्म म्हणाले— तुमची जी अत्यंत सूक्ष्म रूपे आहेत ती आमच्या दृष्टीस पडत नाहीत. भगवन्! जसा पिता आपल्या औरस पुत्राचे रक्षण करतो, तसाच तुम्ही सदैव माझे रक्षण करा.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes that the divine can be too subtle for ordinary sensory perception, and therefore one should seek refuge through humble prayer and trust in protective grace, modeled on the intimate duty of a father toward his own son.
Bhishma, speaking in the Shanti Parva’s instruction-setting, voices a supplication: acknowledging that the Lord’s subtle manifestations are beyond normal sight, he asks for constant protection, comparing it to a father’s care for his legitimate son.