Shloka 5
Adhyāya 302: Guṇa-vicāra, Gati-bheda, and the Imperishable State
Yājñavalkya–Janaka
त्वयि प्रतिगते श्रेय: कुत: श्रोष्यामहे वयम् । कुरुवंशप्रदीपस्त्व॑ ज्ञानदीपेन दीप्यसे,आपके चले जानेपर हमलोग अपने कल्याणकी बातें किससे सुनेंगे? आप कुरुवंशको प्रकाशित करनेवाले प्रदीप हैं और ज्ञानदीपसे उद्भासित हो रहे हैं
tvayi pratigate śreyaḥ kutaḥ śroṣyāmahe vayam | kuruvaṁśapradīpas tvaṁ jñānadīpena dīpyase ||
Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „Wenn du fortgegangen bist, von wem sollen wir hören, was zu unserem höchsten Heil führt? Du bist die Leuchte, die das Kuru-Geschlecht erhellt, und du strahlst mit der Leuchte wahren Wissens.“
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the necessity of wise guidance for attaining śreyaḥ (the highest good). It presents the ideal elder/teacher as a ‘lamp’ whose knowledge illuminates both individuals and the wider community or lineage.
In Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses the revered elder (contextually, Bhīṣma) with anxiety about his impending departure, expressing that without him they will lose access to teachings on welfare and dharma, and praising him as the illuminator of the Kuru line through wisdom.