Shloka 8
शकुनि (हिरण्मय-पक्षी) उपदेशः — Vighasāśin and the Difficulty of Gārhasthya
उस पक्षीने कहा--अरे! देहमें कीचड़ लपेटे और धूल पोते हुए जूठन खानेवाले तुम- जैसे मूर्खोकी मैं प्रशंसा नहीं कर रहा हूँ। विघसाशी तो दूसरे ही होते हैं ।।
śakuna uvāca—are! dehe paṅka-liptaḥ dhūli-digdhāḥ ucchiṣṭa-bhojinaḥ yūyam; tādṛśān mūḍhān ahaṃ na praśaṃsāmi. vighasāśinaḥ tu anye eva bhavanti. ṛṣaya ūcuḥ—idaṃ śreyaḥ param iti vayam eva abhyupāsmahe. śakune brūhi yat śreyaḥ; bhṛśaṃ te śraddadhāmahe.
Der Vogel sprach: „He! Ihr—mit Schlamm am Leib, mit Staub bedeckt, von Resten lebend—solche Toren wie euch preise ich nicht. Die, welche den Namen ‘vighasāśin’ wahrhaft verdienen, sind andere.“ Die Weisen erwiderten: „Wir sind diesen Weg nur gegangen, weil wir ihn für das höchste Heil hielten. O Vogel, sage uns, was du für wahrhaft heilsam hältst; wir setzen großes Vertrauen in deine Worte.“
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
External austerity or a label like ‘vighasāśin’ is not automatically praiseworthy; true virtue is defined by the genuine ethical meaning of the practice. The sages therefore seek clarification of what truly constitutes śreyas (the highest good).
A speaking bird rebukes sages who claim a certain ascetic status, saying they do not deserve that praise. The sages respond respectfully, stating they have followed their path believing it to be best, and ask the bird to explain what dharma and true benefit really are.