Shloka 3
Adhyāya 241: Guṇa-sṛṣṭi, Kṣetrajña-sākṣitva, and Śama through Ātma-jñāna (गुणसृष्टिः, क्षेत्रज्ञसाक्षित्वं, शमः)
मैं इस विषयको सुनना चाहता हूँ, आप कृपापूर्वक मुझे यह बतावें। ये दोनों वचन एक दूसरेके विपरीत हैं, अतः प्रतिकूल परिणाम ही उत्पन्न कर सकते हैं ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | ity uktaḥ pratyuvācedaṃ parāśarāsutaḥ sutam | karmavidyāmayāv etau vyākhyāsyāmi kṣarākṣarī ||
毗湿摩说：话既说完，波罗沙罗之子毗耶娑便答复自己的儿子道：“孩子啊，这两条道路——以业行（karma）为本者与以智知（jñāna）为本者——依次是可坏与不可坏的。我现在就开始为你阐释它们。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse introduces a key distinction: the action-oriented discipline (karma) operates within the perishable realm (kṣara), while the knowledge-oriented discipline (jñāna) leads toward the imperishable (akṣara). Apparent contradictions in teachings are resolved by recognizing their different aims and results.
Bhishma reports that after a question is posed, Vyasa—identified as Parashara’s son—responds to his son (traditionally Shuka). Vyasa announces he will explain two seemingly opposed teachings by clarifying the two paths: karma-based and knowledge-based.