Shloka 8
Vidyā–Avidyā and the Twenty-Fifth Principle
Sāṃkhya–Yoga Clarification
स जानन्नपि चाकार्यमर्थार्थ सेवते नर: । बालस्नेहपरीतात्मा तत्क्षयाच्चानुतप्यते,यद्यपि मनुष्य जानता है कि अमुक काम करना पाप है, तो भी वह धनके लिये उसका सेवन करता है। बाल-बच्चोंके स्नेहमें उसका मन डूबा रहता है और उनमेंसे जब कोई मर जाता है तब उनके लिये वह बारंबार संतप्त होता है
sa jānann api cākāryam arthārtha sevate naraḥ | bāla-sneha-parītātmā tat-kṣayāc cānutapyate ||
Even while knowing that a certain act is improper, a man still pursues it for the sake of wealth. His mind is overwhelmed by attachment to his children; and when they perish, he repeatedly grieves for them.
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Knowing right and wrong is not enough: greed for wealth can drive a person to improper actions, and attachment to family—especially children—binds the mind, leading to recurring grief when loss inevitably comes. The verse points toward self-restraint and detachment as supports for dharma.
Parāśara is describing a common human pattern: despite moral awareness, people commit wrong for material gain, remain absorbed in affection for their children, and then suffer repeated sorrow when those loved ones die.