Shloka 34
Adhyāya 287 — Janaka’s Inquiry on Śreyas, Abhayadāna, and Asaṅga
Non-attachment
एतस्मात् कारणातू प्रज्ञां मृगयन्ते पृथग्विधाम् । प्रज्ञालाभो हि भूतानामुत्तम: प्रतिभाति मे
etasmāt kāraṇāt tu prajñāṃ mṛgayante pṛthagvidhām | prajñālābho hi bhūtānām uttamaḥ pratibhāti me ||
For this reason, people seek wisdom in many different ways. For to all beings, the gaining of true discernment seems to me the highest good—because it guides right conduct and steadies one amid life’s changing conditions.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Nārada teaches that the acquisition of prajñā (clear discernment) is the supreme benefit for living beings, since it enables one to choose dharma, restrain harmful impulses, and act rightly across varied situations.
In the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, Nārada is explaining why people pursue different disciplines and paths: they are, in essence, searching for wisdom, which he regards as the highest attainment.