Adhyāya 352: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Saṃvāda — Uñchavrata-niścaya
Dialogue and the Resolve to Practice Uñchavrata
ब्रह्मोवाच बहव: पुरुषा: पुत्र त्वया ये समुदाहता: । एवमेतदतिक्रान्तं द्रष्टव्यं नैवमित्यपि
brahmovāca bahavaḥ puruṣāḥ putra tvayā ye samudāhṛtāḥ | evam etad atikrāntaṃ draṣṭavyaṃ naivam ity api ||
ବ୍ରହ୍ମା କହିଲେ—ବତ୍ସ! ତୁମେ ଯେ ଅନେକ ‘ପୁରୁଷ’ଙ୍କ ଉଲ୍ଲେଖ କରିଛ, ସେମାନଙ୍କ ବିଷୟରେ ତୁମ କଥା ଠିକ୍ ଅଟେ। କିନ୍ତୁ ଏହି ବିଷୟକୁ ଅତିକ୍ରାନ୍ତ—ଅର୍ଥାତ୍ ପାର ହୋଇ—ଦେଖିବା ଉଚିତ; ‘ଏହିପରି ମାତ୍ର, ଅନ୍ୟଥା ନୁହେଁ’ ବୋଲି ଆଗ୍ରହ କରିବା ଉଚିତ ନୁହେଁ।
पितामह उवाच
Do not cling to rigid, one-sided formulations about ultimate reality. Even if a description is correct at one level, the higher standpoint requires seeing it as ‘transcended’ and avoiding dogmatic insistence—“only this, not otherwise.”
Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha) is recounting a discourse in which Brahmā responds to a ‘son’ who has listed many puruṣas/beings. Brahmā affirms the enumeration but redirects the listener toward a subtler view that goes beyond fixed conceptual categories.