Shloka 2
Nāgendra–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda: Praśna-vidhi and Dharmic Approach on the Gomatī Riverbank
महावराहसृष्टा च पिण्डोत्पत्ति: पुरातनी । प्रवृत्ती च निवृत्ती च यो यथा परिकल्पित:
mahāvarāhasṛṣṭā ca piṇḍotpattiḥ purātanī | pravṛttī ca nivṛttī ca yo yathā parikalpitaḥ ||
Śaunaka said: The ancient origin of embodied beings is said to have been brought forth by the Great Boar; and the two paths—engagement in action and withdrawal from action—have been ordained for each according to his proper constitution and station.
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames dharma as having two legitimate orientations—pravṛtti (engaged duty and action) and nivṛtti (withdrawal and renunciation)—and suggests that these are not one-size-fits-all but are prescribed according to a person’s nature and proper role.
Śaunaka introduces a doctrinal point within Śānti Parva’s reflective discourse: he invokes the primeval, divinely grounded origin of embodied existence (linked to the Great Boar) and connects it to the ordered establishment of life-paths, setting up discussion on how action and renunciation are to be understood and practiced.