Shloka 8
सूक्ष्मभूत-भूतात्मविज्ञानम्
Knowing the subtle principle and the bhūtātman through yoga
यस्मिन् वाच: प्राविशन्ति कूपे त्रस्ता द्विपा इव । न कक्तारं पुनर्यान्ति स कैवल्याश्रमे वसेत्
yasmin vācaḥ prāviśanti kūpe trastā dvipā iva | na kaktāraṃ punaryānti sa kaivalyāśrame vaset ||
Vyāsa disse: “Aquele em quem as palavras entram como elefantes assustados que se lançam num poço—sem jamais voltar ao seu condutor—tal homem deve habitar no eremitério da solidão (kaivalya).”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse praises profound inner stillness: when spoken words ‘fall into’ a person without provoking reaction—like frightened elephants disappearing into a well and not returning to their driver—such steadiness and non-reactivity is fit for a life of kaivalya (solitary, liberation-oriented discipline).
Vyāsa uses a vivid simile to describe an ideal ascetic temperament. He depicts a person whose mind is so deep and undisturbed that external speech does not stir agitation or argumentative response; this quality is presented as the mark of one suited to dwell in a hermitage devoted to solitude and spiritual release.