Shloka 5
तुलाधार-उपदेशः
Tulādhāra’s Instruction to Jājali on Ahiṃsā and Abhaya-dāna
अननेर्दूर्धर्षता ज्योतिस्ताप: पाक: प्रकाशनम् | शोको रागो लघुस्तैक्ष्णयं सततं चोर्ध्वभासिता
anagner durdharṣatā jyotis tāpaḥ pākaḥ prakāśanam | śoko rāgo laghutā tīkṣṇatvaṃ satataṃ cordhvabhāsitā ||
Bhīṣma berkata: Api dikenali melalui sifat-sifat asasinya ini—sukar ditahan; ia bersinar; ia memberi panas; ia memasak dan mematangkan; ia menerangi. Ia juga menampakkan tanda-tanda kepedihan yang membakar seperti dukacita dan kemerahan nafsu; sifatnya ringan dan tajam; dan nyalanya sentiasa menjulang ke atas serta terus memancar. Demikianlah sifat-sifat api dihuraikan, agar orang mengenali tabiat dan kesannya di dunia.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches recognition of a thing’s svabhāva (intrinsic nature) through its guṇas (observable qualities). Fire is defined not by name but by effects—heat, light, transformation, sharpness, and upward-rising radiance—encouraging ethical discernment by attending to consequences and characteristics.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Bhīṣma continues a didactic exposition, listing the defining properties of fire (agni) as part of a broader discussion that classifies and explains the qualities of entities in the world for reflective understanding.