Śuka’s Guṇa-Transcendence and Vyāsa’s Consolation (शुकगति-वर्णनम्)
बाह्यानन्यानपेक्षन्ते गुणांस्तानपि मे शूणु
bāhyān anyān apekṣante guṇāṁs tān api me śṛṇu
Bhīṣma nói: “Con người hướng mắt ra ngoài và nương tựa vào kẻ khác để tìm đức hạnh và công đức; nay hãy nghe ta nói về những phẩm tính ấy nữa.”
भीष्य उवाच
Bhīṣma highlights a tendency to seek virtue or moral support externally—through others or outward factors—and signals that he will explain the relevant qualities, implying a reflective, ethical inquiry into where true guṇa is grounded.
In the Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, Bhīṣma continues his instruction, transitioning into a discussion of certain virtues/qualities that people commonly associate with external sources, inviting the listener to attend to his explanation.