Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 3
Karma, Jñāna, and Bhakti: Vedic Dharma, Piety and Sin, and the Boat of Human Life
गुणदोषभिदादृष्टिमन्तरेण वचस्तव । नि:श्रेयसं कथं नृणां निषेधविधिलक्षणम् ॥ ३ ॥
guṇa-doṣa-bhidā-dṛṣṭim antareṇa vacas tava niḥśreyasaṁ kathaṁ nṝṇāṁ niṣedha-vidhi-lakṣaṇam
Sans discerner la différence entre mérite et péché, comment les hommes comprendraient-ils Tes paroles mêmes dans les Védas, qui prescrivent l’action pieuse et interdisent l’action fautive ? Et sans ces écritures autorisées, qui finalement accordent la libération, comment l’être humain atteindrait-il la perfection de la vie ?
If one does not accept the necessity of performing pious activities and avoiding sinful activities, it becomes very difficult to understand authorized religious scriptures; and without such scriptures, how can human beings attain salvation? This is the essence of Śrī Uddhava’s question.
FAQs
This verse says that without the inner discernment to distinguish virtue from fault, scriptural-style guidance in the form of do’s and don’ts cannot effectively lead a person to the highest good (niḥśreyasa).
In the Uddhava-gītā context, Uddhava seeks clarity on how dharma functions; he points out that rules and prohibitions bear fruit only when a person has the proper discriminating understanding to apply them.
Don’t rely only on external rules; cultivate clear judgment—through sādhana, reflection, and guidance—so that moral and spiritual principles are applied wisely and actually elevate your consciousness.