Shloka 16
Varāha-avatāra: Viṣṇu’s subterranean intervention and the cosmic nāda (Śānti-parva 202)
न चक्षुषा पश्यति रूपमात्मनो न चापि संस्पर्शमुपैति किंचित् । न चापि तै: साधयते तु कार्य ते त॑ न पश्यन्ति स पश्यते तान्
na cakṣuṣā paśyati rūpam ātmano na cāpi saṁsparśam upaiti kiñcit | na cāpi taiḥ sādhayate tu kāryaṁ te taṁ na paśyanti sa paśyate tān ||
毗湿摩开示：“肉眼不能见我之形，皮肤亦不能真触其体；诸根皆不能成就认识真我的事业。感官不能见彼；而彼真我乃见证者，反观诸根。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The Self (ātman) is not an object of sensory perception; it is the witnessing consciousness by which the senses and their experiences are known. Therefore, self-knowledge requires inner discernment rather than reliance on sight, touch, and other sense-data.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira on the nature of the Self. He contrasts the limitations of the senses with the Self’s role as the seer/witness, guiding the listener toward a more inward, contemplative understanding.