Shloka 2
Śānti-parva 206: Guṇa-hetu Moha, Kāma-krodha Chain, Indriya-utpatti, and Nirodha
तदेव च यथा सूत्र सुवर्णे वर्तते पुनः । मुक्तास्वथ प्रवालेषु मृन्मये राजते तथा
tadeva ca yathā sūtraṃ suvarṇe vartate punaḥ | muktāsv atha pravāleṣu mṛṇmaye rājate tathā ||
毗湿摩曰：“正是那同一根线，又见其贯穿于黄金之中；置于珍珠与珊瑚之间亦自辉映；即便在陶土之器中亦复如是。由此可知：一味之本理虽现于种种形相与境遇，其体恒一；不因外在所依而损其价值。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A single underlying essence or principle remains the same across different external forms and circumstances—like one thread that can be seen in gold, pearls, coral, or even clay—so ethical truth should be sought in the inner continuity rather than judged by outward appearance.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma continues his instruction by using a vivid material metaphor: he points to a thread that can be strung through precious and non-precious substances alike, illustrating how one principle can pervade varied contexts without changing in itself.