Shloka 28
अध्याय २९७ — श्रेयः, धृति, दान-नियमाः
Welfare, Steadfastness, and Norms of Giving
एक: शर्त्रुर्न द्वितीयो<$स्ति शरत्रु- रज्ञानतुल्य: पुरुषस्य राजन । येनावृतः कुरुते सम्प्रयुक्तो घोराणि कर्माणि सुदारुणानि
ekaḥ śatrur na dvitīyo 'sti śatruḥ—ajñānatulyaḥ puruṣasya rājan | yenāvṛtaḥ kurute samprayukto ghorāṇi karmāṇi sudāruṇāni ||
Dijo Parāśara: «Oh rey, el hombre tiene un solo enemigo verdadero; no hay un segundo enemigo que se le iguale. Ese enemigo es la ignorancia. Velado por ella y empujado por ella, el hombre llega a cometer actos terribles y de extrema crueldad».
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ignorance (ajñāna) is presented as the single greatest enemy of a person, because it obscures discernment and drives one toward dreadful, cruel actions; ethical reform therefore begins with removing ignorance through right knowledge and clarity.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, the sage Parāśara addresses a king and delivers a moral warning: the real adversary is not external foes but the inner veil of ignorance that impels destructive conduct.