Shloka 8
Adhyāya 214: Tapas Redefined—Perpetual Discipline, Hospitality, and the Ethics of Eating (तपः-निरूपणम्, विघसाशी-अतिथिप्रिय-धर्मः)
लिड्ञसंयोगहीनं यच्छब्दस्पर्शविवर्जितम् । श्रोत्रेण श्रवण चैव चक्षुषा चैव दर्शनम्
liṅgasaṁyogahīnaṁ yacchabdasparśavivarjitam | śrotreṇa śravaṇaṁ caiva cakṣuṣā caiva darśanam ||
Bhīṣma nói: “Cái ấy không dấu tướng, không phụ thuộc, lìa âm thanh và xúc chạm—thế nhưng chính nhờ tai mà có nghe, và nhờ mắt mà có thấy.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma points to a subtle principle behind sensory experience: although sound and touch are objects, and hearing/seeing are functions, there is an underlying reality described as free from limiting marks (liṅga) and associations (saṁyoga). The verse contrasts the objectless, attributeless ground with the instrument-based operations of perception, encouraging discernment between the Self/principle and the senses.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues his philosophical counsel, explaining how perception works through sense-organs while indicating a higher, unconditioned reality beyond sensory qualities. The verse functions as part of a broader ethical-spiritual teaching aimed at cultivating detachment and right understanding.