Shloka 22
मोक्षोपाय-निर्णयः
Determination of the Means to Liberation
पद्म श्मशानादादत्ते पिशाचाच्चापि दैवतम् | तेषु यः: समयं कश्रित् कुर्वीत हतबुद्धिषु
padma śmaśānād ādatte piśācāc cāpi daivatam | teṣu yaḥ samayaṁ kaścit kurvīta hatabuddhiṣu ||
«Un homme peut même cueillir un lotus dans un lieu de crémation, et même recevoir une divinité d’un piśāca (esprit malfaisant). Mais quiconque conclut un pacte avec des gens à l’intelligence ruinée agit sans discernement et s’attire le malheur.»
हुमत्सेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even if one can extract something seemingly valuable from impure or dangerous contexts, one should not enter into agreements with people of corrupted judgment; association and trust must be guided by discernment (viveka) and dharma.
Humatsena delivers a cautionary maxim: he uses striking images (a lotus from a cremation-ground; a ‘deity’ from a piśāca) to emphasize that making pacts with the foolish or morally ruined is especially perilous and should be avoided.