Shloka 25
Śrī–Indra–Bali Saṃvāda: The Departure and Fourfold Placement of Lakṣmī
अथ चेदेवमप्यस्ति यल्लोके नोपपद्यते । अजरोथ<यममृत्युश्व राजासौ मन्यते यथा
atha ced evam apy asti yal loke nopapadyate | ajaro 'yam amṛtyuś ca rājāsau manyate yathā ||
毗湿摩说道：即便有人凭借经典之权威而让步，承认有某种不合世间常情之物——即有一“我”异于此身，不老不死，在天界及诸世界享受神妙之乐——那么也就不得不把宫廷歌者称国王为“不老”“不死”的颂辞，同样当作字面上的真实。其旨在于：此类言辞多为约定俗成的譬喻之语；所谓“不老”，可指身体康健；所谓“天乐”，亦可指此世当下可直接领受之乐，而非另有一独立的形而上境界。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma highlights that some exalted claims—such as ‘unaging, deathless self’ or ‘immortal king’—may function as conventional or figurative speech rather than strict literal description; one should be careful about how scriptural language is interpreted.
In the Shanti Parva’s didactic dialogue, Bhishma is explaining a skeptical/critical line of reasoning: if one accepts non-empirical claims solely on authority, then one must also accept ordinary hyperbole (like bards calling a king immortal), thereby urging discernment about literal versus conventional meanings.