धर्मस्य बहुद्वारत्वम् — Nārada’s Audience with Indra (Śānti-parva 340)
मां प्रविश्य भवन्तीह मुक्ता भक्तास्तु ये मम । अहं हि पुरुषो ज्ञेयो निष्क्रिय: पजचविंशक:,'यहाँ जो मेरे भक्त हैं, वे मुझमें ही प्रवेश करके मुक्त होते हैं। मैं ही पचीसवें तत्त्व निष्क्रिय पुरुषरूपसे जानने योग्य हूँ
māṁ praviśya bhavantīha muktā bhaktāstu ye mama | ahaṁ hi puruṣo jñeyo niṣkriyaḥ pañcaviṁśakaḥ ||
یہاں جو میرے بھکت ہیں وہ مجھ ہی میں داخل ہو کر نجات پاتے ہیں۔ میں ہی پچیسواں تَتْو—نِشکریہ پُرُش—جاننے کے لائق ہوں۔
भीष्म उवाच
Liberation is attained through devotion that culminates in abiding in the Supreme/inner Self, which is to be known as the actionless Puruṣa—the twenty-fifth principle distinct from prakṛti and its changing constituents.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, Bhishma explains a metaphysical point to the listener: true devotees become free by entering into the Supreme reality, identified here with the niṣkriya (non-acting) Puruṣa.