Shloka 8
आरण्यकपर्वणि अध्यायः २१६ — इन्द्र-स्कन्द-संमुखता वज्रप्रहारश्च
Indra approaches Skanda; vajra strike and the arising of Viśākha
वेदोच्चारणकार्यार्थमयुक्त तत् त्वया कृतम् तव शोकेन वृद्धौ तावन्धी भूती तपस्विनौ
vedoccāraṇakāryārtham ayukta tat tvayā kṛtam | tava śokena vṛddhau tāv andhī bhūtī tapasvinau ||
ধৰ্মব্যাধে ক’লে—বেদোচ্চাৰণ আৰু কৰ্মকাৰ্যৰ উদ্দেশ্য থাকিলেও তুমি যি কৰিলা সেয়া অযুক্ত। তোমাৰ শোক আৰু অৱহেলাৰ ফলত সেই দুজন বৃদ্ধ তপস্বী অন্ধ হৈ পৰিল—অসহায় হৈ গ’ল।
व्याध उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual or Vedic observance is not a license to neglect immediate moral obligations; dharma includes caring for the dependent and vulnerable, and grief-driven negligence can become a form of harm.
The hunter rebukes the interlocutor for an action done under the pretext of Vedic recitation; he points out that, due to the person’s sorrow and resulting neglect, two elderly ascetics have been left effectively ‘blind’—helpless and uncared for.