Shloka 183

Adhyāya 262: Śabda-brahman, Para-brahman, and the Ethics of Tyāga

Kapila–Syūmaraśmi Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

उत्पन्नत्यागिन: सर्वे जना आसन्नमत्सरा: । प्राचीन कालके ब्राह्मण सत्यभाषण और इन्द्रिय-संयमरूप यज्ञका अनुष्ठान करते थे। वे परम पुरुषार्थ (मोक्ष)के प्रति लोभ रखते थे, उन्हें लौकिक धनकी प्यास नहीं रहती थी, वे उस ओरसे सदा तृप्त रहते थे। वे सब लोग प्राप्त वस्तुका त्याग करनेवाले और ईर्ष्या-द्वेषसे रहित थे

Transliteration

utpanna-tyāginaḥ sarve janā āsann amatsarāḥ | prācīna-kālake brāhmaṇāḥ satya-bhāṣaṇaṃ ca indriya-saṃyama-rūpa-yajñasya anuṣṭhānaṃ kurvanti sma | te parama-puruṣārthaṃ (mokṣaṃ) prati lobhaṃ dadhati sma; teṣāṃ laukika-dhana-tṛṣṇā na āsīt; tatra te sadā tṛptā āsan | te sarve prāpta-vastu-tyāginaḥ īrṣyā-dveṣa-rahitāś ca āsan |

Translation

Chulādhāra sprach: In alter Zeit waren die Menschen frei von Neid und lebten ohne Arg. Die brāhmaṇas jenes Zeitalters vollzogen ein Opfer, das aus Wahrhaftigkeit der Rede und Zügelung der Sinne bestand. Ihr Verlangen war auf das höchste Ziel des Menschen gerichtet—Befreiung (mokṣa)—und sie kannten keinen Durst nach weltlichem Reichtum, sondern blieben darin stets zufrieden. Alle waren bereit, das Erlangte hinzugeben, und waren frei von Eifersucht und Hass.

Word by Word

• {'utpanna-tyāgin': 'one who gives up even what has arisen/been obtained

• a renouncer of acquisitions', 'sarve janāḥ': 'all people', 'amatsara': 'free from envy/competitive spite', 'prācīna-kālaka': 'belonging to ancient times', 'brāhmaṇa': 'a member of the priestly/intellectual class

• here, exemplars of dharmic conduct', 'satya-bhāṣaṇa': 'truthful speech', 'indriya-saṃyama': 'restraint/control of the senses', 'yajña': 'sacrifice

• here, an inner ethical discipline rather than a mere ritual', 'anuṣṭhāna': 'performance, observance, sustained practice', 'parama-puruṣārtha': 'the highest human end (mokṣa)', 'mokṣa': 'liberation from saṃsāra', 'lobha (mokṣe)': 'intense desire/aspiration (here redirected toward liberation)', 'laukika-dhana': 'worldly wealth', 'tṛṣṇā': 'craving, thirst', 'tṛpta': 'content, satisfied', 'prāpta-vastu': 'obtained possessions/things acquired', 'īrṣyā': 'jealousy', 'dveṣa': 'hatred, aversion', 'rahita': 'devoid of, free from'}

Speaker

चुलाधार उवाच

Characters & Entities

• चुलाधार (Chulādhāra)
• ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇas)
• मोक्ष (mokṣa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True sacrifice is ethical and inward: truthfulness and sense-restraint. One should aspire for moksha, remain content without craving for wealth, and abandon envy, hatred, and attachment even to legitimately obtained possessions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Chulādhāra describes an idealized ancient age, praising the conduct of earlier brāhmaṇas and people: they practiced inner yajña through truthful speech and self-control, sought liberation rather than riches, and lived without jealousy or malice.