Shloka 2
Akṣara–Kṣara Viveka: Vasiṣṭha–Karāla-Janaka Saṃvāda (अक्षर-क्षर विवेकः)
सेवा55श्रितेन मनसा वृत्तिहीनस्य शस्यते । द्विजातिहस्तान्निर्वत्ता न तु तुल्यात् परस्परात्
parāśara uvāca | sevāśritena manasā vṛttihīnasya śasyate | dvijātihastān nirvṛttā na tu tulyāt parasparāt ||
Parāśara sprach: Als die beste gilt die Verehrung dessen, der sich von der nach außen gerichteten Sinnestätigkeit zurückgezogen hat und dessen Geist im Dienst Zuflucht genommen hat. Eine solche Verehrung erlangt man durch die segenspendende Hand eines gelehrten und hingebungsvollen Brāhmaṇa; sie wird nicht bloß unter Ebenbürtigen gewonnen.
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
True worship is primarily inward: when the mind is anchored in service and the senses are withdrawn from external pursuits, that devotion is considered superior. Spiritual attainment is portrayed as arising through the grace and guidance of a qualified, devoted brāhmaṇa (teacher/saint), not merely through association with one’s equals.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Parāśara is teaching about the nature of effective spiritual practice. He contrasts inward, disciplined devotion with ordinary social exchange, emphasizing that higher worship is ‘obtained’ through the blessing/agency of a worthy spiritual authority rather than through mutual dealings among peers.