Shloka 23
सदाचार-नियमाः: शील, संयम, संग-निषेध, शुचिता, वाणी-नीति, परोपकारः
नारभेत कलिं प्राज्ञः शुष्कवैरं च वर्जयेत् अप्य् अल्पहानिः सोढव्या वैरेणार्थागमं त्यजेत्
nārabheta kaliṃ prājñaḥ śuṣkavairaṃ ca varjayet apy alpahāniḥ soḍhavyā vaireṇārthāgamaṃ tyajet
A wise person should not provoke quarrel and should avoid barren enmity; even a small loss is to be endured, and gains that come by hostility should be renounced.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Ethics of conflict: avoiding quarrel and sterile enmity; preferring small loss over gains born of hostility
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: compassionate
Concept: Do not initiate quarrels or cling to pointless enmity; accept minor losses and renounce profits gained through rancor, since such wealth corrodes order and the mind.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: De-escalate disputes, avoid ‘winning at any cost,’ and prefer long-term integrity over short-term gains from antagonism.
Vishishtadvaita: Inner purity (sattva) is a prerequisite for stable devotion; relinquishing hostile gains aligns the jīva’s will with the Lord’s dharmic governance.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse frames “kali” as needless contention that accelerates Kali-yuga disorder; the wise preserve dharma by refusing to initiate conflict.
He recommends forbearance—enduring even small losses—because retaliation breeds enmity and multiplies social and moral decline.
By upholding dharma through restraint and non-hostility, one aligns with Vishnu’s sustaining sovereignty—the divine principle that maintains cosmic and social order.