Shloka 161
Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment
Parāśara’s Instruction
या मूर्तय: सुसूक्ष्मास्ते न महां यान्ति दर्शनम् । त्राहि मां सततं रक्ष पिता पुत्रमिवौरसम्
yā mūrtayaḥ susūkṣmās te na mahān yānti darśanam | trāhi māṃ satataṃ rakṣa pitā putram ivaurasam ||
毗湿摩说道：“你那些形相极其微妙，不入凡常目力之境。护佑我吧——时时守护我——如父护其亲生嫡子一般。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes that the divine can be too subtle for ordinary sensory perception, and therefore one should seek refuge through humble prayer and trust in protective grace, modeled on the intimate duty of a father toward his own son.
Bhishma, speaking in the Shanti Parva’s instruction-setting, voices a supplication: acknowledging that the Lord’s subtle manifestations are beyond normal sight, he asks for constant protection, comparing it to a father’s care for his legitimate son.