Shloka 13
Bhṛgu–Bharadvāja-saṃvāda: Vānaprastha-parivrājaka-ācāra, Abhaya-dharma, and Lokānāṃ Vibhāga (Śānti-parva 185)
वल्ली वेष्टयते वृक्ष सर्वतश्वैव गच्छति । न हादृष्टेश्न मार्गोड$स्ति तस्मात् पश्यन्ति पादपा:
bharadvāja uvāca |
vallī veṣṭayate vṛkṣaṃ sarvataś caiva gacchati |
na hi adṛṣṭeś na mārgo 'sti tasmāt paśyanti pādapāḥ ||
Bharadvāja disse: “Uma trepadeira se enrosca na árvore e a escala por todos os lados. Sem visão, nenhum ser encontra o caminho do seu movimento; portanto, segue-se que as árvores também possuem o poder de ver.”
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse argues by inference that plants are not entirely insentient: purposeful movement (the vine finding and climbing a tree) suggests some form of perception; thus trees are said to ‘see’ in a functional sense.
In a didactic discussion in Śānti Parva, Bharadvāja presents an observation from nature—the vine’s ability to locate and ascend a tree—to support a philosophical claim about perception and awareness in living beings.