Shloka 3
इन्द्र–बलि संवादः
The Dialogue of Indra and Bali on Fortune, Humility, and Restraint
ज्ञानाभ्यासाज्जागरणं जिज्ञासार्थमनन्तरम् | विज्ञानाभिनिवेशात्तु स जागर्त्यनिशं सदा
jñānābhyāsāj jāgaraṇaṃ jijñāsārtham anantaram | vijñānābhiniveśāt tu sa jāgarty aniśaṃ sadā ||
毗湿摩说道：“由反复修习真知，人先养成警觉清醒之习。继而，为求探究与省察，清醒便成不可或缺。然而，若已坚住于证悟之智者，则恒常觉醒——无有间断——安住于梵（Brahman）。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma outlines a progression: (1) disciplined study and practice of knowledge cultivates inner wakefulness, (2) that wakefulness matures into sustained inquiry (jijñāsā), and (3) when inquiry culminates in realized wisdom (vijñāna), one abides in constant spiritual alertness—steadfast in Brahman.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira by describing how a seeker’s inner life evolves from learning, to inquiry, to stable realization—using “wakefulness” as a metaphor for sustained awareness and freedom from ignorance.