Shloka 4
तुलाधार-उपदेशः
Tulādhāra’s Instruction to Jājali on Ahiṃsā and Abhaya-dāna
अपां शैत्यं रस: क्लेदो द्रवत्वं स्नेहसौम्यता । जिह्नदा विस्यन्दनं चापि भौमानां श्रपर्णं तथा
apāṃ śaityaṃ rasaḥ kledo dravatvaṃ sneha-saumyatā | jihvadā visyandanaṃ cāpi bhaumānāṃ śrapaṇaṃ tathā ||
Bhīṣma menerangkan sifat-sifat asali air: air sejuk menurut tabiatnya; membawa rasa dan kelembapan; ia mencair dan mengalir; licin berlemak serta lembut sifatnya; ia dapat berliku-liku mengikut alur; ia menitis dan merembes; ia boleh membeku menjadi hujan batu atau ais; dan ia melembutkan serta memasakkan hasil bumi seperti padi dan kekacang. Dalam ajaran tentang dharma dan unsur-unsur ini, baginda menunjukkan bahawa setiap zat dikenali melalui fungsi-fungsi khasnya, dan bahawa memahami alam tabii menyokong pertimbangan yang benar serta kehidupan yang tertib.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines water by its characteristic functions—coolness, moistening, liquidity, unctuous gentleness, dripping/oozing, and even congealing—showing that right knowledge (viveka) begins with recognizing the intrinsic properties (guṇas) of things. Such discernment supports dharmic order by aligning conduct and understanding with nature’s realities.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira in a reflective, philosophical mode. Here he is enumerating the qualities of the element water as part of a broader exposition on the constituents of the world and how their properties can be known and classified.