Shloka 8
शकुनि (हिरण्मय-पक्षी) उपदेशः — Vighasāśin and the Difficulty of Gārhasthya
उस पक्षीने कहा--अरे! देहमें कीचड़ लपेटे और धूल पोते हुए जूठन खानेवाले तुम- जैसे मूर्खोकी मैं प्रशंसा नहीं कर रहा हूँ। विघसाशी तो दूसरे ही होते हैं ।।
śakuna uvāca—are! dehe paṅka-liptaḥ dhūli-digdhāḥ ucchiṣṭa-bhojinaḥ yūyam; tādṛśān mūḍhān ahaṃ na praśaṃsāmi. vighasāśinaḥ tu anye eva bhavanti. ṛṣaya ūcuḥ—idaṃ śreyaḥ param iti vayam eva abhyupāsmahe. śakune brūhi yat śreyaḥ; bhṛśaṃ te śraddadhāmahe.
The bird said, “Hey! You—smeared with mud on your bodies, coated with dust, living on leftovers—people like you are not the kind of fools I praise. Those who truly deserve the name ‘vighasāśin’ are others.” The sages replied, “We have indeed been following this path only because we believe it to be the highest good. O bird, tell us what you consider truly beneficial; we place great faith in your words.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
External austerity or a label like ‘vighasāśin’ is not automatically praiseworthy; true virtue is defined by the genuine ethical meaning of the practice. The sages therefore seek clarification of what truly constitutes śreyas (the highest good).
A speaking bird rebukes sages who claim a certain ascetic status, saying they do not deserve that praise. The sages respond respectfully, stating they have followed their path believing it to be best, and ask the bird to explain what dharma and true benefit really are.