Shloka 45
कपिलगोसंवादे गृहस्थ-त्यागधर्मयोः प्रमाण्यविचारः
Kapila–Cow Dialogue: Authority of Householder and Renunciant Dharmas
कालेन महतागच्छत् स तु वाराणसी पुरीम् । विक्रीणन्तं च पण्यानि तुलाधारं ददर्श सः
kālena mahatā gacchat sa tu vārāṇasīṃ purīm | vikrīṇantaṃ ca paṇyāni tulādhāraṃ dadarśa saḥ ||
Nach langer Zeit gelangte er in die Stadt Vārāṇasī. Dort sah er Tulādhāra—den „Waagehalter“, einen Händler, der Waren abwog—wie er seine Güter verkaufte. Die scheinbar alltägliche Szene rahmt leise die ethische Frage, wie Dharma selbst im gewöhnlichen Broterwerb wohnen kann.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse sets up an ethical reflection: dharma is not confined to ascetics or kings; it can be encountered in ordinary social roles such as trade, where honesty, fairness, and right measure (symbolized by the balance) become moral touchstones.
After a long time, the protagonist reaches Vārāṇasī and notices a merchant weighing and selling goods—a ‘tulādhāra’. This sight introduces a forthcoming discussion or exemplum centered on conduct and righteousness in worldly life.