Shloka 28
Adhyāya 262: Śabda-brahman, Para-brahman, and the Ethics of Tyāga
Kapila–Syūmaraśmi Saṃvāda
तस्मात् तानृत्विजो लुब्धा याजयन्त्यशुभान् नरान्,लोभी ऋत्विज तो ऐसे लोगोंका ही यज्ञ कराते हैं, जो अशुभ (मोक्षकी इच्छासे रहित) होते हैं, श्रेष्ठ पुरुष तो स्वधर्मका आचरण करते हुए ही प्रजाको स्वर्गमें पहुँचा देते हैं। जाजले! यही सोचकर मेरी बुद्धि भी सर्वत्र समान भाव ही रखती है
tasmāt tān ṛtvijo lubdhā yājayanty aśubhān narān | lobhī ṛtvijaḥ to aise logoṅ kā hī yajña karāte haiṅ, jo aśubha (mokṣa-kī icchā-se rahita) hote haiṅ; śreṣṭha puruṣa to svadharma-kā ācaraṇa karate hue hī prajā-ko svarga-meṅ pahuṅcā dete haiṅ | jājale! yahī socakara merī buddhi bhī sarvatra samāna bhāva hī rakhatī hai ||
Therefore, greedy priests officiate sacrifices for such men—men of inauspicious disposition, lacking the aspiration for liberation. But the truly excellent guide people to heaven simply by steadfastly practicing their own dharma. O Jājali, reflecting thus, my understanding remains everywhere even and impartial.
चुलाधार उवाच
Educational Q&A
Cūlādhāra contrasts outward ritual with inner ethical orientation: priests driven by greed tend to serve people lacking higher aims, whereas the truly noble uplift society through faithful practice of svadharma and an impartial, equal-minded outlook.
In the Cūlādhāra–Jājali discourse of Śānti Parva, Cūlādhāra instructs Jājali by criticizing mercenary priestcraft and asserting that genuine excellence lies in righteous conduct that benefits the community, culminating in the ideal of samāna-bhāva (equanimity).