Shloka 27
Āraṇyaka-parva Adhyāya 199: Dharmavyādha on Svakarma, Vidhi, and the Limits of Ahiṃsā
सद्धिः सदाध्यासितं तु प्रशस्तं तस्मात् प्रशस्तं श्रयते मतिर्मे एतन्महाभाग्यवरं शिबेस्तु तस्मादहं वेद यथावदेतत्,श्रेष्ठ पुरुष सदा जिस मार्गसे चले हैं, वही उत्तम मार्ग है। इसीलिये मेरी बुद्धि सदा उस उत्तम पथका ही आश्रय लेती है। यह है राजा शिबिकी सर्वश्रेष्ठ महिमा, जिसे मैं (अच्छी तरह) जानता हूँ। इसीलिये इन सब बातोंका यथावत् वर्णन किया है
saddhiḥ sadādhyāsitaṃ tu praśastaṃ tasmāt praśastaṃ śrayate matir me | etanmahābhāgyavaraṃ śibes tu tasmād ahaṃ veda yathāvad etat ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “The path followed always by the good is itself the praiseworthy path; therefore my mind continually takes refuge in that excellent way. This is the supreme and most auspicious glory of King Śibi, which I know well; hence I have described these matters exactly as they are.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should rely on the path consistently practised by the virtuous; such conduct is the standard of what is truly commendable (praśasta) and should guide one’s own judgment and choices.
The narrator Vaiśampāyana concludes or frames the account of King Śibi’s renowned virtue, stating that he knows Śibi’s supreme glory well and has therefore reported it accurately, holding it up as an ethical exemplar.