Shloka 6
बोध्य उवाच उपदेशेन वर्तामि नानुशास्मीह कंचन । लक्षणं तस्य बक्ष्येडहं तत् स्वयं परिमृश्यताम्,बोध्यने कहा--राजन्! मैं किसीको उपदेश नहीं देता, बल्कि स्वयं दूसरोंसे प्राप्त हुए उपदेशके अनुसार आचरण करता हूँ। मैं अपनेको मिले हुए उपदेशका लक्षण बता रहा हूँ (जिनसे उपदेश मिला है, उन गुरुओंका संकेतमात्र कर रहा हूँ), उसपर तुम स्वयं विचार करो
bodhya uvāca | upadeśena vartāmi nānuśāsmīha kañcana | lakṣaṇaṃ tasya vakṣye'haṃ tat svayaṃ parimṛśyatām ||
Bodhya said: “I live by instruction; I do not presume to command anyone here. I shall state the distinguishing mark of that instruction—reflect on it for yourself.”
बोध्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The speaker distinguishes between living by received guidance (upadeśa) and authoritatively commanding others (anuśāsana). The ethical emphasis is humility and personal practice: one should embody instruction and invite thoughtful reflection rather than impose rules.
In the Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, Bodhya addresses a listener (implicitly a king) and frames his discourse: he will not issue orders, but will describe the defining sign of the teaching he follows, asking the listener to examine it independently.