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Shloka 25

Prahlāda–Indra Saṃvāda: Kartṛtva (Agency) and Svabhāva (Nature) in the Causation of Karma

साधन आरम्भ कर देनेपर उसे बीचमें न रोके। जैसे आग धीरे-धीरे तेज की जाती है, उसी प्रकार ज्ञानके साधनको शनैः-शनै: उद्दीपित करे। ऐसा करनेसे ज्ञान सूर्यके समान प्रकाशित होने लगता है ।।

sādhanaṃ ārambhaṃ kṛtvā madhye na nivārayet | yathā agniḥ śanaiḥ-śanaiḥ tīvraḥ kriyate tathā jñānasya sādhanam api śanaiḥ-śanaiḥ uddīpayet | evaṃ kṛte jñānaṃ sūryavat prakāśate || jñānādhiṣṭhānam ajñānaṃ trīṃl lokān adhitiṣṭhati | vijñānānugataṃ jñānam ajñānena apākṛṣyate ||

Bhishma diz: Uma vez iniciada uma disciplina, não se deve interrompê-la no meio do caminho. Assim como o fogo é intensificado pouco a pouco, do mesmo modo devem ser acesos gradualmente os meios do conhecimento; feito assim, o conhecimento começa a brilhar como o sol. Até a ignorância repousa sobre o conhecimento, que permeia e sustenta os três mundos; contudo, pela ignorância, o conhecimento guiado pelo discernimento é diminuído e afastado.

ज्ञानाधिष्ठानम्the basis/foundation of knowledge
ज्ञानाधिष्ठानम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootज्ञानाधिष्ठान
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
अज्ञानम्ignorance
अज्ञानम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअज्ञान
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
त्रीन्three
त्रीन्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootत्रि
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
लोकान्worlds
लोकान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootलोक
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
अधितिष्ठतिpresides over / pervades / stands over
अधितिष्ठति:
TypeVerb
Rootअधि-स्था
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
विज्ञानानुगतम्accompanied by discernment/true understanding
विज्ञानानुगतम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootविज्ञानानुगत
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
ज्ञानम्knowledge
ज्ञानम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootज्ञान
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
अज्ञानेनby/through ignorance
अज्ञानेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootअज्ञान
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
अपकृष्यतेis drawn away / is diminished
अपकृष्यते:
TypeVerb
Rootअप-√कृष्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Passive (Atmanepada form)

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
A
agni (fire)
S
sūrya (sun)
T
trayaḥ lokāḥ (the three worlds)

Educational Q&A

Do not abandon a discipline once begun; cultivate the means to knowledge gradually and steadily. True knowledge becomes luminous through sustained practice, while ignorance can obscure even discernment-guided understanding.

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīṣma continues ethical-spiritual counsel, using the metaphor of slowly intensifying fire to recommend patient, uninterrupted cultivation of knowledge and warning how ignorance diminishes insight.