Shloka 6
Aṣṭāvakra and the Woman: Disclosure, Permission, and Marital Resolution (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय २२)
तत उत्थाय स मुनिस्तदा परमविस्मित:
tata utthāya sa munis tadā paramavismitaḥ | tad-anantaraṃ sa munir atyanta āścaryavākitaḥ utthāya upāviśat | sa dadarśa pūrva-diśi ākāśe sūryadevasya udayaṃ jātaṃ | sa cintayām āsa—kim idaṃ mama mohaḥ, atha vā vastutaḥ sūryodayaḥ jātaḥ |
Disse Bhīṣma: Então o sábio se ergueu, totalmente assombrado. Logo em seguida, tomado de espanto, sentou-se e viu que, no céu do oriente, o deus Sol já havia surgido. Refletiu: “Será isto alguma ilusão minha, ou o nascer do sol ocorreu de fato?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights discernment (viveka): even a sage, when confronted with an extraordinary event, tests perception against reality—questioning whether an experience is delusion (moha) or a true occurrence—thus modeling careful judgment rather than impulsive certainty.
A sage suddenly rises in amazement and sees that the sun has already risen in the eastern sky. Shocked by the unexpected timing, he wonders whether his mind is confused or whether sunrise has genuinely taken place.