Shloka 9
Yoga-kṛtya (योककृत्य) — Vyāsa on Sense-Restraint, Obstacles, and Brahman-Realization
उपलकभ्याप्सु चेद् गन्धं केचिद् ब्रूयुरनैपुणात् । पृथिव्यामेव तं॑ विद्यादपां वायोश्व संश्रितम्
upalabhyāpsu ced gandhaṁ kecid brūyur anaipuṇāt | pṛthivyām eva taṁ vidyād apāṁ vāyoś ca saṁśritam ||
Vyāsa bersabda: Jika, setelah menghidu bau wangi dalam air, ada orang—kerana kurang daya pembezaan—berkata, “Ini sifat air,” maka kata-kata itu tersalah. Bau wangi sebenarnya milik bumi; maka hendaklah difahami ia bersemayam pada bumi. Dalam air dan dalam angin, ia hanya hadir sebagai sesuatu yang menumpang, seumpama tetamu.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not mistake an incidental, borrowed presence for an intrinsic property: fragrance is essentially the quality of earth, even if it is perceived in water or carried by wind. The verse trains discernment about causes and supports, a key ethical-intellectual discipline in Śānti Parva.
Vyāsa illustrates a philosophical point using the example of smell perceived in water: people may wrongly attribute it to water, but it properly belongs to earth and only resides in water and air dependently. The passage functions as instruction in correct attribution and subtle analysis.