Shloka 27
Devaśarmā–Vipula Dialogue on Ahorātra–Ṛtu as Moral Witnesses (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय ४३)
भीष्म उवाच ततः स भगवांस्तस्मै विपुलाय महात्मने । आचचक्षे यथातत्त्वं मायां शक्रस्य भारत,भीष्मजी कहते हैं--भरतनन्दन! तदनन्तर भगवान् देवशर्माने महात्मा विपुलसे इन्द्रकी मायाको यथार्थरूपसे बताना आस्मभ किया
bhīṣma uvāca tataḥ sa bhagavāṁs tasmai vipulāya mahātmane | ācacakṣe yathātattvaṁ māyāṁ śakrasya bhārata ||
Bhishma berkata: Kemudian, resi yang mulia itu menerangkan kepada Vipula yang berhati agung, menurut hakikat yang sebenar, tentang kuasa māyā Śakra (Indra), wahai keturunan Bharata—agar Vipula memahaminya sebagaimana adanya dan tidak disesatkan oleh rupa yang tampak.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds discernment (viveka): one should understand deceptive appearances (māyā) as they truly are (yathā-tattvam). Ethical steadiness depends on seeing through temptation, glamour, or fear that can distort judgment.
Bhishma reports that the revered sage (Devasharma in the surrounding narrative) begins instructing Vipula by explaining Indra’s māyā—Indra’s power to create misleading appearances—so Vipula can respond rightly and remain firm in dharma.