Shloka 19
अध्याय १५२: लोभः पापस्य मूलम् — Greed as the Root of Wrongdoing
वक्ष्यन्ति मामधर्मज्ञं त्यक्ष्यन्ति सुहदो जना: । ता वाच: सुहृद: श्रुत्वा संज्वरिष्यन्ति मे भूशम्
vakṣyanti mām adharmajñaṃ tyakṣyanti suhṛdo janāḥ | tā vācaḥ suhṛdaḥ śrutvā saṃjvariṣyanti me bhūśam ||
Śaunaka sprach: „Die Menschen werden mich einen nennen, der das Dharma nicht versteht; meine wohlmeinenden Freunde werden mich verlassen. Wenn sie solche Worte hören — dieses Reden vom Unterweisen im Dharma — werden meine Freunde in heftigem Zorn gegen mich entbrennen.“
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral-psychological obstacle to dharma: fear of social blame and the loss of allies. Even well-intentioned speech about righteousness can provoke resentment, so one must weigh truth, timing, and audience while remaining steady in ethical intent.
Śaunaka voices anxiety about public perception: he anticipates being labeled ignorant of dharma and worries that his friends will desert him. He further fears that, on hearing his words about giving dharma-instruction, those same friends will react with intense anger.