Mahabharata — Udyoga Parva, Shloka 24
Pātāla-varṇana (Nārada’s Description of the Netherworld) / पातालवर्णनम्
एतच्छत्रात् परिभ्रष्टं सलिलं सोमनिर्मलम् । तमसा मूर्छितं भाति येन नारच्छति दर्शनम्,इस छत्रसे गिरा हुआ चन्द्रमाके समान निर्मल जल अन्धकारसे आच्छन्न रहता है, जिससे दृष्टिपथमें नहीं आता है
etac chatrāt paribhraṣṭaṃ salilaṃ somanirmalam | tamasā mūrcchitaṃ bhāti yena nāracchati darśanam ||
Kaṇva disse: “Esta água, caída do pálio—clara e pura como a lua—parece como que entorpecida e engolida pela escuridão, de modo que não entra no alcance da visão.”
कण्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
Purity or truth can be rendered ineffective when covered by tamas (darkness/ignorance); ethical clarity depends on removing obscuring conditions so that right perception (darśana) becomes possible.
Kaṇva uses a vivid simile: water that is naturally clear like moonlight, once fallen and covered by darkness, cannot be seen—serving as a moral illustration within his counsel.