Shloka 2
सान्त्व-निति: (Sāntva-Nīti) — The One-Word Principle of Conciliation
शक्र उवाच कि स्विदेकपदं ब्रह्मन् पुरुष: सम्यगाचरन् । प्रमाणं सर्वभूतानां यशश्रैवाप्रुयान्महत्,इन्द्रने पूछा--ब्रह्मन! वह कौन-सी ऐसी एक वस्तु है, जिसका नाम एक ही पदका है और जिसका भलीभाँति आचरण करनेवाला पुरुष समस्त प्राणियोंका प्रिय होकर महान् यश प्राप्त कर लेता है
śakra uvāca: kiṁ svid ekapadaṁ brahman puruṣaḥ samyag ācaran | pramāṇaṁ sarvabhūtānāṁ yaśaś caivāpnuyān mahat ||
Śakra (Indra) said: “O Brahman, what is that single-word principle which, when a man practices it rightly, makes him a standard for all beings and enables him to attain great renown?”
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical inquiry: there exists a concise, single-term virtue whose proper practice makes a person exemplary (pramāṇa) to all beings and brings lasting renown. It emphasizes that true fame is grounded in right conduct rather than power or status.
Indra (Śakra) addresses a brahmin/sage and asks a pointed question: identify the ‘one-word’ principle that, when lived correctly, makes one beloved and authoritative among creatures and yields great fame. The verse sets up a didactic response about a central moral virtue.