Śuka’s Nirveda: Vyāsa’s Admonition on Dharma, Impermanence, and ‘Imperishable Wealth’ (अक्षय-धन)
यथा ज्ञाने परिचय: कर्तव्यस्तत्फलार्थिना | तथा धर्मे परिचय: कर्तव्यस्तत्फलार्थिना
yathā jñāne paricayaḥ kartavyas tatphalārthinā | tathā dharme paricayaḥ kartavyas tatphalārthinā ||
Wika ni Bhīṣma: “Kung paanong ang naghahangad ng bunga ng kaalaman ay dapat tunay na makakilala at maging bihasa sa kaalaman, gayon din ang naghahangad ng bunga ng dharma ay dapat tunay na makakilala at maging bihasa sa dharma. Hindi sapat ang pagnanasa sa resulta; kailangan ang pag-unawa at ang pagkasanay na isinasabuhay upang mamunga nang wasto ang dharma.”
भीष्म उवाच
To gain the results of either knowledge or dharma, one must cultivate real familiarity with them—study, reflection, and practice—rather than merely wishing for their benefits.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma, emphasizing that dharma’s fruits come only to those who properly understand and internalize dharma, just as knowledge benefits only the one who truly learns it.