Shloka 40
Nārada’s Darśana of Viśvarūpa Nārāyaṇa and the Caturmūrti Doctrine (नारदस्य नारायणदर्शनं चतुर्मूर्तिविचारश्च)
तम: परिगतं वेश्म यथा दीपेन दृश्यते । तथा बुद्धिप्रदीपेन शक््य आत्मा निरीक्षितुम्
tamaḥ parigataṁ veśma yathā dīpena dṛśyate | tathā buddhi-pradīpena śakya ātmā nirīkṣitum ||
Itinuro ni Janaka: Kung paanong ang bahay na nababalot ng dilim ay nakikita sa liwanag ng lampara, gayon din ang Sarili—na natatakpan ng dilim ng kamangmangan—ay maaaring matunghayan nang tuwiran sa pamamagitan ng lampara ng dalisay na talino.
जनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The Self is not grasped by external means; it is revealed when ignorance (tamas) is dispelled by the illuminating power of purified intellect (buddhi) functioning as a lamp—i.e., discriminative knowledge leading to direct insight.
King Janaka is speaking in a didactic context within Śānti Parva, using a simple analogy (lamp and dark house) to explain how inner illumination through buddhi enables realization of the Ātman obscured by ignorance.