Shloka 16
Adhyāya 71: Kaca and the Saṃjīvanī-vidyā
Devayānī–Śukra Episode
(अस्वतन्त्रास्मि राजेन्द्र काश्यपो मे गुरु: पिता । तमेव प्रार्थय स्वार्थ नायुक्तं कर्तुमहसि ।।) राजेन्द्र! मैं परतन्त्र हूँ। कश्यपनन्दन महर्षि कण्व मेरे गुरु और पिता हैं। उन्हींसे आप अपने प्रयोजनकी सिद्धिके लिये प्रार्थना करें। आपको अनुचित कार्य नहीं करना चाहिये'। दुष्यन्त उवाच ऊर्ध्वरेता महाभागे भगवॉल्लोकपूजित: । चलेद्धि वृत्ताद् धर्मोडपि न चलेत् संशितव्रत:,दुष्यन्त बोले--महाभागे! विश्ववन्द्य कण्व तो नैछ्ठिक ब्रह्मचारी हैं। वे बड़े कठोर व्रतका पालन करते हैं। साक्षात् धर्मराज भी अपने सदाचारसे विचलित हो सकते हैं, परंतु महर्षि कण्व नहीं
duṣyanta uvāca | ūrdhvaretā mahābhāge bhagavāṁl lokapūjitaḥ | caleddhi vṛttād dharmo 'pi na calet saṁśitavrataḥ ||
Duṣyanta said: “O noble lady, the revered sage Kaṇva—celebrated and honored by the world—is a lifelong celibate of unwavering discipline. Even Dharma itself might be imagined to slip from right conduct, but that sage, firm in his vows, does not waver. Therefore, for the fulfillment of your purpose, you should appeal to him; it is not proper for you to press me into an improper course.”
दुष्यन्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral action should be guided by propriety and legitimate authority: a person should not be pushed into an improper act, and one should seek consent or resolution through the rightful elder/teacher. The verse also upholds the ideal of unwavering vows—true ascetic discipline is portrayed as steadier than even abstract Dharma in a rhetorical comparison.
Duṣyanta speaks to a noble woman (contextually Śakuntalā in the Kaṇva-āśrama episode), emphasizing that the sage Kaṇva is a world-honored, strict celibate who will not deviate from his vows. Duṣyanta implies that any request or decision should be taken to Kaṇva, rather than urging Duṣyanta toward an ethically questionable course.