Shloka 6
अव्यक्तकालमान-निर्णयः
Measures of Time from the Unmanifest; Creation, Elements, and the Primacy of Mind
तन्नः कार्य पक्षिवर प्रशाधि यत् कार्याणां मन्यसे श्रेष्ठमेकम् । यत् कृत्वा वै पुरुष: सर्वबन्धै- विमुच्यते विहगेन्द्रेह शीघ्रम्ू,पक्षिराज! खगश्रेष्ठ) समस्त कार्योमेंसे जिस एक कार्यको आप सबसे उत्तम समझते हों तथा जिसके करनेसे जीवको सब प्रकारके बन्धनोंसे शीघ्र छुटकारा मिल सके, उसीका हमें उपदेश कीजिये
tan naḥ kārya pakṣivara praśādhi yat kāryāṇāṁ manyase śreṣṭham ekam | yat kṛtvā vai puruṣaḥ sarvabandhair vimucyate vihagendreha śīghram ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik antara burung, ajarkanlah kami apa yang patut dilakukan—nyatakan satu perbuatan yang engkau anggap paling tinggi antara segala dharma dan kewajipan. Dengan melakukannya, seseorang segera terlepas di sini juga, wahai penghulu burung, daripada segala jenis belenggu.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a central ethical-spiritual inquiry: among all possible duties, what single practice is supreme and leads to swift freedom from all forms of bondage. It emphasizes prioritizing the highest dharma that culminates in liberation (mokṣa).
Bhīṣma addresses a revered “lord of birds,” requesting instruction. He asks the bird-sage to identify the one best course of action—above all other duties—by which a person can be quickly released from worldly bonds in this very life.