Shloka 31
सत्य–अनृत, प्रकाश–तमस्, स्वर्ग–नरक विवेचनम्
Truth and Untruth as Light and Darkness; Svarga and Naraka as Ethical Consequences
अग्नि, वायु, जल और पृथ्वी--इनके रंग-रूप आकाशसे ही गृहीत होते हैं; अत: उससे भिन्न नहीं हैं। तत्त्वज्ञान न होनेसे ही उनमें भेदकी प्रतीति होती है ।।
agnir vāyur jalaṁ pṛthivī—eteṣāṁ varṇa-rūpāṇi ākāśād eva gṛhyante; ataḥ tato bhinnāni na bhavanti. tattva-jñānābhāvād eva teṣu bheda-pratītiḥ. paṭhanti caiva munayaḥ śāstreṣu vividheṣu ca. trailokye sāgare caiva pramāṇaṁ vihitaṁ yathā; parantu ye dṛṣṭeḥ pare yatra cendriyāṇāṁ gocaro nāsti tasya paramātmano parimāṇaṁ kathaṁ brūyāt? ante siddhānāṁ devatānāṁ ca jñānam api parimitaṁ hi.
婆罗陀婆阇说道：“火、风、水与地，其所见之色相，唯依虚空而被摄取；故究竟而言，并不异于虚空。唯因不具如实智，才妄起差别之想。诸牟尼在种种论典中确曾诵说：三界乃至诸海，皆有一定的度量与准则；然而，那超越目见、超越诸根所及的至上之我，其‘量度’又有谁能宣说？终究，连成就者（悉地者）与诸天的知识，也都是有限的。”
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
Perceived differences among the elements arise from ignorance; ultimately, their qualities are apprehended through (and not independent of) space, and the Supreme Self cannot be measured or fully known by sensory or even divine cognition—true reality transcends ordinary standards of ‘extent’ and description.
In a philosophical discourse within the Śānti Parva, Bharadvāja argues against taking cosmological measurements as ultimate knowledge: texts may describe the size of worlds and oceans, but the Paramātman lies beyond perception, so claims to fully quantify or comprehend the Absolute are inherently limited.