Shloka 3
कुण्डधारोपाख्यानम्
Kuṇḍadhāra-Upākhyāna: Dharma’s Superiority over Wealth and Desire
आह़यैनान् महाब्रह्मन् विशमानांस्ततस्तत: । पश्येमान् हस्तपादैश्न श्लिष्टान् देहेषु सर्वश:
āhvayainān mahābrahman viśamānāṁs tataḥ tataḥ | paśyemān hastapādaiś ca śliṣṭān deheṣu sarvaśaḥ ||
Chulādhāra said: “O great Brāhmaṇa, call these creatures who are slipping in here and there. Look—everywhere their hands and feet are drawn in and pressed close to their bodies as they enter their various shelters. Summon them and question them.”
चुलाधार उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse urges careful observation and inquiry: by attentively watching how beings protect themselves and move through the world, one can question and learn about their nature and the ethical implications of one’s actions toward them.
Chulādhāra addresses a Brāhmaṇa and points out creatures entering their shelters, with limbs drawn in close to their bodies. He asks the Brāhmaṇa to call them and question them, setting up a reflective, didactic exchange.