Shloka 996
Śuka’s Guṇa-Transcendence and Vyāsa’s Consolation (शुकगति-वर्णनम्)
न वेद चक्षुश्नक्षुष्टवं श्रोत्रं नात्मनि वर्तते । इनमेंसे एक-एक इन्द्रियको न तो अपना ज्ञान है और न दूसरेका। नेत्र अपने नेत्रत्वको नहीं जानता। इसी प्रकार कान भी अपने विषयमें कुछ नहीं जानता
na veda cakṣuḥ sva-cakṣuṣṭvaṁ śrotraṁ nātmani vartate |
毗湿摩说道：“眼并不知自身之为‘眼’；耳亦不住于自知。诸根各各皆无自觉，亦不觉他根——故眼不解其自性，耳亦同然，于自身一无所知。”
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sense-organs function only toward their objects and cannot apprehend their own nature; therefore true self-knowledge cannot arise from the senses themselves and must be grounded in insight into the Ātman as the witnessing knower.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction, Bhīṣma continues his philosophical teaching, using the example of the eye and ear to show the limits of sensory cognition and to direct the listener toward inner discernment and knowledge of the Self.