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Shloka 16

प्रजापतयः देवगणाश्च दिशि-दिशि स्थिताः ऋषयः

Prajāpatis, Deva-Groups, and the Ṛṣis Assigned to the Directions

स्वेनात्मना चक्षुरिव प्रणेता निशात्यये तमसा संवृतात्मा । ज्ञानं तु विज्ञानगुणेन युक्त कर्माशुभं पश्यति वर्जनीयम्‌

bhīṣma uvāca | svenātmanā cakṣur iva praṇetā niśātyaye tamasā saṃvṛtātmā | jñānaṃ tu vijñānaguṇena yuktaṃ karmāśubhaṃ paśyati varjanīyam |

Bhīṣma nói: Khi đêm đã tàn và tự ngã không còn bị bóng tối bao phủ, vị dẫn đường nội tâm—như con mắt được trao quyền bởi chính ánh sáng của mình—nhìn rõ những gì nằm trên lối đi và nhận ra điều phải tránh, như gai nhọn. Cũng vậy, khi tấm màn mê vọng được vén lên, trí tuệ, được soi sáng bởi chân tri gắn liền với năng lực phân biệt, sẽ thấy các hành vi bất thiện là những điều cần từ bỏ.

स्वेनby/with one’s own
स्वेन:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootस्व (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular
आत्मनाby the self
आत्मना:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootआत्मन्
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
चक्षुःthe eye
चक्षुः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootचक्षुस्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
इवlike/as
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
प्रणेताthe guide/leader
प्रणेता:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootप्र-नी (धातु) → प्रणेता (कर्तृ-नाम)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
निशा-अत्ययेat the end of night (at dawn)
निशा-अत्यये:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootनिशा + अत्यय
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
तमसाby darkness
तमसा:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootतमस्
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
संवृत-आत्माwhose self is covered/obscured
संवृत-आत्मा:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसंवृत (क्त) + आत्मन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
ज्ञानम्knowledge (as instrument/light)
ज्ञानम्:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootज्ञान
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
विज्ञान-गुणेनwith the quality of discernment (vijñāna)
विज्ञान-गुणेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootविज्ञान + गुण
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
युक्तम्endowed/connected
युक्तम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootयुज् (धातु) → युक्त (क्त)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
कर्मaction/deed
कर्म:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकर्मन्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
अशुभम्inauspicious/evil
अशुभम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootअशुभ
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
पश्यतिsees
पश्यति:
TypeVerb
Rootदृश्
FormPresent, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
वर्जनीयम्to be avoided
वर्जनीयम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootवृज्/वर्ज् (धातु) → वर्जनीय (तव्य/अनीयर्-भाव)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma
E
eye (cakṣus)
D
darkness (tamas)
N
night/dawn (niśātyaya)
T
thorns (implied by the simile)
I
intellect/inner guide (praṇetā; implied buddhi)

Educational Q&A

When ignorance and delusion recede, knowledge combined with discriminative understanding enables the intellect to recognize unethical or harmful actions as avoidable—just as the eye, once darkness is gone, can see thorns on the road and steer clear of them.

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction to Yudhishthira, Bhishma continues a moral-philosophical explanation: he uses a dawn-and-vision simile to show how the mind, once freed from the darkness of moha, clearly perceives which actions are to be renounced.