Shloka 14
श्रेयो-धर्मकर्मविचारः
Inquiry into Śreyas, Dharma, and Karma
यथा चाल्पेन माल्येन वासितं तिलसर्षपम् । न मुज्चति स्वकं गन्ध॑ तद्वत् सूक्ष्मस्य दर्शनम्
yathā cālpena mālyena vāsitaṃ tilasarṣapam | na muñcati svakaṃ gandhaṃ tadvat sūkṣmasya darśanam ||
Wika ni Bhīṣma: “Kung paanong ang langis ng linga o ng mustasa, kahit bahagyang pabanguhan ng munting kuwintas ng bulaklak, ay hindi iniiwan ang sarili nitong likas na amoy, gayon din ang pagtanaw sa Maselan (Brahman) ay hindi nakakamit sa munting pagsisikap—ni ang mga kapintasan ay naaalis sa kaunting pagsasanay.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Small, superficial effort does not uproot ingrained tendencies or faults; likewise, direct realization of the Subtle Reality (Brahman) requires sustained, deeper practice rather than minimal or occasional attempts.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Bhīṣma continues advising the listener (Yudhiṣṭhira in the broader frame) using a homely analogy: just as sesame/mustard retains its own smell despite light perfuming, a person’s inner defects and the highest realization are not transformed by slight effort.