Shloka 41
Adhyāya 208: Aṅgirasī-kanyāḥ
Enumeration of Aṅgiras’ daughters and attribute-names
यथाहं प्रति पूजा च सर्वभूतेषु वै सदा । त्यागान्नान्यत्र मर्त्यानां गणास्तिष्ठन्ति पूरुषे,अपनी शक्तिके अनुसार सदा दूसरोंको अन्न देना, दूसरोंके अपराध तथा शीत-उष्ण आदि द्वन्दोंको सहन करना, सदा धर्ममें दृढ़तापूर्वक लगे रहना तथा सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंमें सभी पूजनीय पुरुषोंका यथायोग्य पूजन करना--ये मनुष्योंके सदगुण पुरुषमें स्वार्थत्यागके बिना नहीं रह पाते हैं
vyādha uvāca | yathāhaṃ prati pūjā ca sarvabhūteṣu vai sadā | tyāgān nānyatra martyānāṃ gaṇās tiṣṭhanti pūruṣe ||
The hunter said: “As for the reverence shown toward me, and the constant honoring of all living beings—such clusters of virtues do not abide in a human being anywhere without self-renunciation. Only through giving up self-interest can one sustain generosity according to one’s capacity, endure others’ faults and the oppositions of cold and heat, remain steadfastly established in dharma, and offer fitting respect to all who are worthy among creatures.”
व्याध उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that enduring virtues—generosity, forbearance, steadfastness in dharma, and reverence toward all beings—cannot truly reside in a person without tyāga (self-renunciation). Ethical excellence is grounded in relinquishing self-centeredness.
In the Vana Parva’s dialogue where the hunter instructs a seeker in dharma, the Vyādha explains that the respect shown to him and the practice of honoring all beings are not mere social gestures; they are signs of inner renunciation, without which such virtues do not endure.