Shloka 55
कर्णनिधनवृत्तान्तनिवेदनम् | Reporting Karṇa’s Fall to Yudhiṣṭhira
दुष्करं परम॑ ज्ञानं तर्केणानुव्यवस्यति । श्रुतेर्थर्म इति होके वदन्ति बहवो जना:
duṣkaraṃ paramaṃ jñānaṃ tarkeṇānuvyavasyati | śrutārtham iti loke vadanti bahavo janāḥ |
Vāyu sprach: „Das höchste Wissen—schwer zu erlangen—wird von manchen durch Schlussfolgerung und Streitgespräch gesucht. Doch viele Menschen in der Welt behaupten, die Bedeutung des Dharma werde aus den Veden, der Śruti (Offenbarung), erkannt.“
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
That determining dharma is difficult: some attempt it through tarka (reasoning), but many hold that dharma’s meaning is grounded in śruti (the Veda). The verse contrasts rational inquiry with scriptural authority as sources for ethical knowledge.
Vāyudeva is giving guidance about how one may discern dharma and adharma. He notes competing approaches—logical argument versus reliance on Vedic revelation—preparing the listener for a concise criterion for moral decision-making.