Shloka 2.108.5
जाबाल्युपदेशः — Jabali’s Pragmatic Counsel to Rama
यथा ग्रामान्तरं गच्छन्नरः कश्चित्क्वचिद्वसेत्।उत्सृज्य च तमावासं प्रतिष्ठेतापरेऽहनि।।।।एवमेव मनुष्याणां पिता माता गृहं वसु।अवासमात्रं काकुत्स्थ सज्जन्ते नात्र सज्जनाः।।।।
sa nāsti param ity eva kuru buddhiṁ mahāmate |
pratyakṣaṁ yat tad ātiṣṭha parokṣaṁ pṛṣṭhataḥ kuru ||
O great-minded one, form the conviction that there is no “beyond”; hold fast to what is directly evident, and turn your back on what lies beyond perception.
A man who goes from one village to another takes rest somewhere on the way and the next day leaves the place and proceeds on his journey. Similarly, father, mother, home and wealth are resting-places to a man. The wise do not get attached to them, O descendant the Kakutsthas!
It argues for action grounded in verifiable reality (pratyakṣa). In dharma-discourse, this is presented as an epistemic stance: trust what is evident rather than speculative promises.
Bharata presses a strongly this-worldly position, advising Rāma to prioritize the seen over the unseen in deciding how to act.
Pragmatic discernment—choosing based on direct knowledge rather than conjecture.