Shloka 13
मृत्युकारणप्रश्नः / Inquiry into the Cause and Designation of Death
लोकमातुरमसूयते जन- स्तत् तदेव च निरीक्ष्य शोचते । तत्र पश्य कुशलानशोचतो ये विदुस्तदुभयं कृताकृतम्
lokam āturam asūyate janaḥ tat tad eva ca nirīkṣya śocate | tatra paśya kuśalān aśocato ye vidus tad ubhayaṁ kṛtākṛtam ||
Les hommes, voyant autrui accablé et souffrant, répondent parfois par le blâme ; d’autres, voyant le même état, tombent dans le chagrin. Mais ceux qui comprennent en vérité l’acte et le non-acte—cause et effet, ce qui est fait et ce qui ne l’est pas—ne s’affligent pas. Tiens ces connaisseurs sans tristesse pour les véritables sages et les mieux disposés en pareille circonstance.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not respond to others’ suffering with blame or with helpless sorrow; the wiser stance is grounded understanding of causality and agency (kṛta/akṛta), which steadies the mind and prevents grief.
Vyāsa contrasts common reactions to seeing the afflicted—censure or lamentation—with the response of the truly knowledgeable, who, understanding the deeper structure of action and its conditions, remain free from grief and are to be regarded as the truly ‘kuśala’ (sound in judgment).