Shloka 17
Adhyāya 287 — Janaka’s Inquiry on Śreyas, Abhayadāna, and Asaṅga
Non-attachment
निवृत्ति: कर्मण: पापात् सततं पुण्यशीलता । सद्धिश्व समुदाचार: श्रेय एतदसंशयम्
nivṛttiḥ karmaṇaḥ pāpāt satataṃ puṇyaśīlatā | saddhiśva samudācāraḥ śreya etad asaṃśayam ||
Nārada said: “Turning back from sinful action, maintaining a constant disposition toward merit, and living with right conduct—this indeed is the highest good, without doubt.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines śreyas (true welfare) as a threefold discipline: refraining from sinful acts (nivṛtti from pāpa), cultivating steady virtue (satataṃ puṇyaśīlatā), and embodying proper conduct in daily life (samudācāra).
In Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Nārada speaks as a moral teacher, summarizing the practical marks of dharma: avoidance of wrongdoing and sustained ethical living as the sure path to the highest good.