Shloka 5
Adhyāya 122 — Śruta-vṛtta-yukta Brāhmaṇa and the Ethics of Dāna
Maitreya–Vyāsa Saṃvāda
वाग्बुद्धिपाणिपादैश्व व्यपेतस्य विपश्चित: । कि हास्यति मनुष्यस्य मन्दस्यापि हि जीवत:
vāgbuddhipāṇipādaiś ca vyapetasya vipaścitaḥ | kiṃ hāsyati manuṣyasya mandasyāpi hi jīvataḥ ||
قال فياسا: «ولو كان المرء حكيمًا، فإذا حُرِمَ الكلامَ والفهمَ واستعمالَ اليدين والرجلين، فماذا عسى أن ينجز وهو حيّ؟ حتى الأحمق، ما دام حيًّا وهذه القوى فيه سليمة، استطاع على الأقل أن يعمل ويقضي ما تقتضيه الحياة».
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wisdom alone is not sufficient for effective living; human agency depends on functional faculties—speech, discernment, and bodily capacity. The verse stresses the ethical importance of practical capability: without the means to act, even a wise person cannot fulfill duties, whereas even limited intellect can still manage life when the instruments of action remain.
Vyāsa is making a reflective point within Anuśāsana-parvan’s instruction-oriented discourse: he contrasts a wise person rendered powerless by loss of key faculties with an ordinary or dull person who can still function. The statement supports a broader didactic argument about the conditions required to practice dharma and carry out responsibilities.