Shloka 5
सूक्ष्मभूत-भूतात्मविज्ञानम्
Knowing the subtle principle and the bhūtātman through yoga
एकश्चरति य: पश्यन् न जहाति न हीयते । अनग्निरनिकेतश्न ग्राममन्नार्थमा श्रयेत्
ekaś carati yaḥ paśyan na jahāti na hīyate | anagnir aniketaś ca grāmam annārtham āśrayet ||
Vyāsa dit : «Celui qui, voyant la vérité, erre seul n’abandonne personne, et nul ne l’abandonne—car, étant tout-pénétrant, il se tient au-delà des liens ordinaires de possession et de rejet. Le renonçant ne doit entretenir aucun feu sacré et ne doit pas s’établir en bâtissant maison ou monastère ; qu’il n’entre au village que pour recevoir l’aumône.»
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches the ideal of a self-realized renunciant: living without attachment, not defining relationships through possession or rejection, and maintaining radical simplicity—no ritual fire, no fixed residence—approaching society only to receive alms.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation, Vyāsa describes the conduct (ācāra) of a true saṃnyāsin: solitary wandering grounded in insight, and a disciplined lifestyle that avoids settling down or engaging in household/ritual obligations.