Shloka 6
Jñāna-plava (The Raft of Knowledge): Svabhāva, Prajñā, and the Ascent to Ātmajñāna
भीष्म उवाच इति तेनानुयुक्त: स तमुवाच महातपा: । महद्वाक्यमसंदिग्धं पुष्कलार्थपर्द शुचि
bhīṣma uvāca iti tenānuyuktaḥ sa tam uvāca mahātapāḥ | mahadvākyam asaṃdigdhaṃ puṣkalārtha-pradaṃ śuci ||
ਭੀਸ਼ਮ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਰਾਜਨ! ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਪੁੱਛੇ ਜਾਣ ‘ਤੇ ਮਹਾਤਪਸਵੀ ਜੈਗੀਸ਼ਵ੍ਯ ਨੇ ਦੇਵਲ ਨੂੰ ਸੰਦੇਹ-ਰਹਿਤ, ਪਵਿੱਤਰ, ਗੰਭੀਰ ਅਤੇ ਅਰਥ-ਸਮ੍ਰਿੱਧ ਬਚਨ ਕਹੇ—ਜੋ ਆਚਰਨ ਦਾ ਮਾਰਗ ਦਿਖਾਉਂਦੇ ਸਨ।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ideal qualities of dharmic instruction: it should be authoritative (mahadvākya), unambiguous (asaṃdigdha), rich in practical meaning (puṣkalārtha-prada), and purifying in effect (śuci).
Bhishma frames a dialogue: after someone asks a question, a great ascetic responds, and Bhishma characterizes the reply as clear, meaningful, and pure—setting up the forthcoming teaching.