Shloka 8
सूक्ष्मभूत-भूतात्मविज्ञानम्
Knowing the subtle principle and the bhūtātman through yoga
यस्मिन् वाच: प्राविशन्ति कूपे त्रस्ता द्विपा इव । न कक्तारं पुनर्यान्ति स कैवल्याश्रमे वसेत्
yasmin vācaḥ prāviśanti kūpe trastā dvipā iva | na kaktāraṃ punaryānti sa kaivalyāśrame vaset ||
Vyāsa nói: “Người mà lời nói lao vào như đàn voi hoảng sợ rơi xuống giếng—không bao giờ trở lại với người điều khiển—người ấy nên cư trú trong am thất của sự cô tịch (kaivalya).”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse praises profound inner stillness: when spoken words ‘fall into’ a person without provoking reaction—like frightened elephants disappearing into a well and not returning to their driver—such steadiness and non-reactivity is fit for a life of kaivalya (solitary, liberation-oriented discipline).
Vyāsa uses a vivid simile to describe an ideal ascetic temperament. He depicts a person whose mind is so deep and undisturbed that external speech does not stir agitation or argumentative response; this quality is presented as the mark of one suited to dwell in a hermitage devoted to solitude and spiritual release.