Shloka 13
Bhṛgu–Bharadvāja-saṃvāda: Vānaprastha-parivrājaka-ācāra, Abhaya-dharma, and Lokānāṃ Vibhāga (Śānti-parva 185)
वल्ली वेष्टयते वृक्ष सर्वतश्वैव गच्छति । न हादृष्टेश्न मार्गोड$स्ति तस्मात् पश्यन्ति पादपा:,लता वृक्षको चारों ओरसे लपेट लेती है और उसके ऊपरी भागतक चढ़ जाती है। बिना देखे किसीको अपने जानेका मार्ग नहीं मिल सकता; इससे सिद्ध है कि वृक्ष देखते भी हैं
bharadvāja uvāca |
vallī veṣṭayate vṛkṣaṃ sarvataś caiva gacchati |
na hi adṛṣṭeś na mārgo 'sti tasmāt paśyanti pādapāḥ ||
Bharadvāja berkata: “Sulur menjalar melilit pohon dan memanjatnya dari segala arah hingga ke bahagian atas. Tanpa penglihatan, tiada makhluk dapat menemukan jalan geraknya; maka tersimpullah bahawa pohon juga memiliki kuasa melihat.”
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse argues by inference that plants are not entirely insentient: purposeful movement (the vine finding and climbing a tree) suggests some form of perception; thus trees are said to ‘see’ in a functional sense.
In a didactic discussion in Śānti Parva, Bharadvāja presents an observation from nature—the vine’s ability to locate and ascend a tree—to support a philosophical claim about perception and awareness in living beings.