Shloka 13
Adhyātma–Adhibhūta–Adhidaivata Correspondences and the Triguṇa Lakṣaṇas (Śānti-parva 301)
ज्ञानयोगे च ये दोषा गुणा योगे च ये नृप । सांख्यज्ञाने च ये दोषास्तथैव च गुणा नृप
bhīṣma uvāca |
jñānayoge ca ye doṣā guṇā yoge ca ye nṛpa |
sāṅkhyajñāne ca ye doṣās tathaiva ca guṇā nṛpa ||
ज्ञानयोगे च ये दोषा गुणा योगे च ये नृप । सांख्यज्ञाने च ये दोषास्तथैव च गुणा नृप ॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma emphasizes discernment: each spiritual discipline—Jnana-yoga, Yoga, and Sāṅkhya-knowledge—has its own merits (guṇa) and limitations (doṣa). A seeker should understand these clearly to choose and practice a path without confusion, thereby progressing steadily toward liberation.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to the king (Yudhishthira), Bhishma continues his systematic teaching on liberation-oriented disciplines. Here he signals a comparative evaluation of major soteriological paths—Jnana-yoga, Yoga, and Sāṅkhya—framing the discussion in terms of their respective strengths and weaknesses.