Shloka 4
Ācāra-vidhi (Rules of Conduct) — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Catalogue
स जन्तु: सर्वभूतात्मा पुरुष: स सनातन: । मनो बुद्धिरहड्कारो भूतानि विषयश्चल सः
sa jantuḥ sarvabhūtātmā puruṣaḥ sa sanātanaḥ | mano buddhir ahaṅkāro bhūtāni viṣayāś ca saḥ ||
婆罗堕阇说道：“此众生即是一切众生之我——永恒之普鲁沙（Purusha）。同一真实化为意（manas）、慧（buddhi）与我执（ahaṃkāra）；亦复显现为诸元素，并为诸根所缘之境。”
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches the identity and pervasiveness of the Self: the ‘living being’ is not an isolated entity but the eternal Purusha who is the Self in all beings, and who manifests as inner faculties (mind, intellect, ego) and as the experienced world (elements and sense-objects). Ethical implication: recognizing the same Self in all supports restraint, compassion, and non-harm.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, Bharadvaja presents a metaphysical explanation of the jiva and its relation to the universal principle. He frames the individual as a manifestation of the eternal Purusha, describing how consciousness appears as psychological functions and as the material and sensory domain.