Shloka 5
Nakula’s Counsel on Yajña, Dāna, and Tyāga (नकुलोपदेशः—यज्ञदानत्यागविचारः)
वेदवादापविद्धांस्तु तान् विद्धि भृशनास्तिकान् । न हि वेदोक्तमुत्सृज्य विप्र: सर्वेषु कर्मसु
vedavādāpaviddhāṁs tu tān viddhi bhṛśanāstikān | na hi vedoktam utsṛjya vipraḥ sarveṣu karmasu
Sachez que ceux qui ont rejeté l’autorité de l’enseignement védique sont des incroyants accomplis. Car un brāhmaṇa, dans aucun de ses devoirs prescrits, n’abandonne ce que le Veda enjoint.
नकुल उवाच
Educational Q&A
Nakula asserts that rejecting the authority of Vedic teaching marks one as a thorough nāstika, and that a brāhmaṇa’s ethical-religious integrity lies in not setting aside Vedic injunctions in the performance of duties.
Within the Shānti Parva’s reflective discourse on dharma after the war, Nakula speaks to define a boundary of orthodox conduct: adherence to Vedic injunctions, especially as a standard for brāhmaṇas, and a critique of those who discard that standard.