Shloka 33
ब्राह्मणानुयात्रा—शौनकोपदेशः
Brāhmaṇas Follow into Exile and Śaunaka’s Instruction
ज्ञानान्वितेषु युक्तेषु शास्त्रज्ञेषु कृतात्मसु । न तेषु सज्जते स्नेह: पद्मपत्रेष्विवोदकम्,'जो ज्ञानी, योगयुक्त, शास्त्रज्ञ तथा मनको वशमें रखनेवाले हैं, उनपर आसक्तिका प्रभाव उसी प्रकार नहीं पड़ता, जैसे कमलके पत्तेपर जल नहीं ठहरता
jñānānviteṣu yukteṣu śāstrajñeṣu kṛtātmasu | na teṣu sajjate snehaḥ padmapatreṣv ivodakam ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Among those endowed with true knowledge—disciplined in yoga, learned in the śāstras, and self-controlled—attachment does not cling. Just as water cannot stay upon a lotus leaf, so affection born of clinging fails to take hold in such steady-minded persons.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
True knowledge and self-mastery prevent attachment from sticking; the wise may show goodwill, but they are not bound by clinging affection—like water that cannot adhere to a lotus leaf.
In Vaiśaṃpāyana’s narration, a general principle is stated to characterize the conduct of the spiritually disciplined and learned: their inner steadiness keeps them free from binding attachments even amid relationships and circumstances.