Shloka 19
Gṛhastha-vṛtti and Niyama: Models of Householder Livelihood and Discipline (गृहस्थवृत्ति-नियमाः)
उपपन्नं हि यत् प्राज्ञो निस्तरेन्नेतरो जन: । दूरतो गुणदोषीौ हि प्राज्ञ: सर्वत्र पश्यति
upapannaṃ hi yat prājño nistaren netaro janaḥ | dūrato guṇadoṣau hi prājñaḥ sarvatra paśyati ||
Es razonable que una persona sabia pueda cruzar (un peligro o una dificultad), mientras que un hombre común e ignorante no pueda. Pues el discerniente ve, desde lejos y en toda circunstancia, tanto los méritos como las faltas, y así elige su rumbo con previsión.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wisdom is shown by foresight: the discerning person anticipates consequences by recognizing virtues and faults in advance, and therefore can ‘cross over’ dangers that overwhelm the unwise.
In the didactic discourse of the Śānti Parva, Vyāsa states a general principle about practical discernment: the wise succeed in navigating life’s difficulties because they perceive pros and cons early, whereas the ignorant fail for lack of such insight.