Shloka 8
Vyaktāvyakta-Viveka and Nivṛtti as Paramā Gati
Manifest–Unmanifest Discrimination and the Supreme Path of Withdrawal
गुरुउ्वाच शृणु शिष्य महाप्राज्ञ ब्रह्मगुह्ममिदं परम् । अध्यात्मं सर्वविद्यानामागमानां च यद्धसु,गुरुने कहा--वत्स! सुनो। महामते! तुमने जो बात पूछी है, वह वेदोंका उत्तम एवं गूढ़ रहस्य है। यही अध्यात्मतत्त्व है तथा यही समस्त विद्याओं और शास्त्रोंका सर्वस्व है जैसे ऋतु-परिवर्तनके साथ ही भिन्न-भिन्न ऋतुओंके नाना प्रकारके वे-ही-वे लक्षण प्रकट होते रहते हैं, वैसे ही प्रत्येक कल्पके आरम्भमें पूर्व कल्पोंके अनुसार तदनुरूप भावोंकी अभिव्यक्ति होती रहती है ।। अथ यद्यद् यदा भाति कालयोगाद्ू युगादिषु | तत् तदुत्पद्यते ज्ञानं लोकयात्राविधानजम्
guruḥ uvāca: śṛṇu śiṣya mahāprājña brahma-guhyam idaṁ param | adhyātmaṁ sarva-vidyānām āgamānāṁ ca yad dhruvam || atha yad-yad yadā bhāti kāla-yogād yugādiṣu | tat-tad utpadyate jñānaṁ loka-yātrā-vidhāna-jam ||
गुरुरुवाच—शृणु शिष्य महाप्राज्ञ ब्रह्मगुह्यमिदं परम् । अध्यात्मं सर्वविद्यानामागमानां च यद्रहम् ॥ अथ यद्यद् यदा भाति कालयोगाद् युगादिषु । तत् तदुत्पद्यते ज्ञानं लोकयात्राविधानजम् ॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse identifies adhyātma—knowledge of the inner Self—as the supreme, hidden essence of Brahman and as the stable core of all learning and scriptural traditions. It also teaches a cyclical view of history: as time turns and new ages begin, appropriate forms of knowledge re-manifest to sustain the world’s ongoing order (loka-yātrā).
A teacher addresses a highly intelligent disciple and begins an esoteric instruction. He frames the disciple’s question as touching the deepest Brahman-secret and then explains that knowledge appears in different ages according to the operation of time and the requirements of maintaining worldly life and order.