Shloka 11
Yoga, Nārāyaṇa as Supreme Principle, and the Emanation of Categories
Sāṅkhya-Yoga Outline
न हि खल्वनुपायेन कश्रिदर्थोडभिसिद्धाति । सूत्रजालैर्यथा मत्स्यान् बध्नन्ति जलजीविन:
na hi khalv anupāyena kaścid artho ’bhisidhyati | sūtrajālair yathā matsyān badhnanti jalajīvinaḥ ||
Disse Bhishma: Nenhum objetivo se cumpre sem um meio adequado. Assim como os que vivem das criaturas das águas capturam peixes lançando redes de fio, assim também toda coisa cognoscível é apreendida apenas pelo instrumento apropriado—o conhecimento—aplicado do modo correto.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that success depends on upāya—an appropriate means or method. Goals are not reached by mere desire; one must apply the right instrument to the task, and in matters of understanding, that instrument is disciplined knowledge.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction to Yudhishthira, Bhishma continues his didactic discourse on right conduct and effective action. Here he uses a concrete analogy—fish caught by thread-nets—to illustrate that every result requires a suitable method, and that knowing is achieved through the proper means of knowledge.