Shloka 7
Vyaktāvyakta-Viveka and Nivṛtti as Paramā Gati
Manifest–Unmanifest Discrimination and the Supreme Path of Withdrawal
वेदेषु चापि यद् वाक््यं लौकिकं व्यापकं च यत् । एतद् विद्वन् यथातत्त्वं सर्व व्याख्यातुमहसि
vedeṣu cāpi yad vākyaṃ laukikaṃ vyāpakaṃ ca yat | etad vidvan yathātattvaṃ sarvaṃ vyākhyātum arhasi ||
“ਵੇਦਾਂ ਦੇ ਵਾਕ ਅਤੇ ਸਮ੍ਰਿਤੀਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਜੋ ਲੋਕਿਕ ਅਤੇ ਵਿਸ਼ਾਲ ਰੂਪ ਵਿੱਚ ਲਾਗੂ ਧਰਮ-ਉਪਦੇਸ਼ ਹਨ—ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੀ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਅਸੰਗਤਤਾ ਦਿੱਸਦੀ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਲਈ, ਹੇ ਵਿਦਵਾਨ, ਤੁਸੀਂ ਤੱਤ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਇਹ ਸਭ ਕੁਝ ਵਿਆਖਿਆ ਕਰੋ, ਤਾਂ ਜੋ ਅਸਲ ਭਾਵ ਸਮਝ ਆ ਸਕੇ।”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That even authoritative sources like the Vedas (and by implication related dharma-teachings) can appear mutually inconsistent, so a wise interpreter must explain them 'yathātattvam'—in a way aligned with the underlying truth and intent, not merely by literal or isolated readings.
In the Shanti Parva’s dharma-discourse, Bhishma frames a problem of interpretive conflict: teachings that are worldly and broadly applicable, even when found in the Vedas, may seem uneven or contradictory. He calls upon the learned interlocutor to provide a coherent, reality-grounded explanation of all such statements.