Shloka 31
Vidyā–Avidyā and the Twenty-Fifth Principle
Sāṃkhya–Yoga Clarification
सुखे तु वर्तमानो वै दुःखे वापि नरोत्तम | सुवृत्ताद् यो न चलते शास्त्रचक्षु;ः स मानव:
sukhe tu vartamāno vai duḥkhe vāpi narottama | suvṛttād yo na calate śāstracakṣuḥ sa mānavaḥ ||
Ya viva en la dicha o enfrente la pena, oh el mejor de los hombres, quien no se aparta de la buena conducta—guiado por el ojo discerniente de los śāstras—es, en verdad, un ser humano digno.
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A person’s true worth is shown by steadiness in dharma: remaining anchored in good conduct and guided by śāstra, without wavering in either pleasure or pain.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right living, Parāśara addresses a listener as ‘narottama’ and defines the mark of a genuine human being as unwavering adherence to virtuous conduct, supported by scriptural discernment, regardless of changing circumstances.