Shloka 22
Jñāna-plava (The Raft of Knowledge): Svabhāva, Prajñā, and the Ascent to Ātmajñāna
तत्त्वज्ञ पुरुषको चाहिये कि वह अपमानको अमृतके समान समझकर उससे संतुष्ट हो और विद्वान् मनुष्य सम्मानको विषके तुल्य समझकर उससे सदा डरता रहे ।।
jaigīṣavya uvāca | tattvajñaḥ puruṣaḥ kāmayed yat sa apamānaṃ amṛtavat manyamānaḥ tena tuṣyeta, vidvān tu mānaṃ viṣavat manyamānaḥ tasmāt sadā bibheti || avajñātaḥ sukhaṃ śete iha cāmutra cābhayam | vimuktaḥ sarvadoṣebhyo yo ’vamantā sa badhyate ||
Jaigīṣavya said: A knower of truth should be one who, taking insult as though it were nectar, remains content; and a wise person should regard honor like poison and therefore always be wary of it. One who is disregarded sleeps happily, fearless here and in the world to come, being freed from every fault; but the one who insults him becomes bound in sin.
जैगीषव्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Treat dishonor as spiritually beneficial—like nectar—because it reduces ego and loosens attachment; treat honor as dangerous—like poison—because it inflates pride and invites downfall. The insulted person who remains steady gains fearlessness, while the insulter accrues binding demerit.
Within the Shanti Parva’s dharma instruction, the sage Jaigīṣavya delivers a moral maxim: the wise should not chase public esteem, and should endure contempt without inner disturbance, emphasizing karmic consequences for both the patient sufferer and the aggressor.