Shloka 10
Adhyāya 241: Guṇa-sṛṣṭi, Kṣetrajña-sākṣitva, and Śama through Ātma-jñāna (गुणसृष्टिः, क्षेत्रज्ञसाक्षित्वं, शमः)
ये सम बुद्धि परां प्राप्ता धर्मनैपुण्यदर्शिन: । नते कर्म प्रशंसन्ति कूपं नद्यां पिबन्निव
ye sama-buddhi-parāṁ prāptā dharma-naipuṇya-darśinaḥ | na te karma praśaṁsanti kūpaṁ nadyāṁ pibann iva ||
Wika ni Bhishma: Ngunit yaong nakaabot sa pinakamataas na pantay-na-isip na pag-unawa at malinaw na nakakakita sa maselang kasanayan ng dharma ay hindi itinatanghal ang gawaing ritwal bilang sukdulan—gaya ng taong araw-araw umiinom sa umaagos na ilog na hindi na nagpapahalaga sa balon.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
When higher, steady insight into dharma is attained, ritual or action (karma) is no longer treated as the ultimate means; it becomes secondary to realized understanding—illustrated by the river (abundant direct source) making the well (limited source) comparatively insignificant.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira by contrasting ordinary reliance on prescribed actions with the standpoint of those established in higher knowledge, using a simple everyday metaphor of drinking from a river versus valuing a well.