Shloka 19
परिव्राजक-आचारः (Conduct of the Wandering Renunciant) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 269
सर्वमानन्त्यमेवासीदिति नः शाश्वती श्रुति: । तेषामदीनसत्त्वानां दुश्चराचारकर्मणाम्
sarvam ānantyam evāsīd iti naḥ śāśvatī śrutiḥ | teṣām adīna-sattvānāṁ duścarācāra-karmaṇām
«Notre tradition sacrée, éternelle, proclame : “Tout cela était en vérité sans limites.” Pourtant, pour ceux dont la force intérieure ne fléchit pas—ceux qui persévèrent dans des disciplines rudes et des modes de conduite difficiles—cette vérité ne s’approche qu’au prix d’une pratique laborieuse et d’actes exigeants.»
कपिल उवाच
Educational Q&A
Kapila invokes śruti to assert that reality is fundamentally ‘boundless’ (ānantya). The verse links this metaphysical claim to ethical-spiritual effort: only the steadfast, undiscouraged practitioner can move toward such truth through rigorous discipline and demanding action.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional dialogue, Kapila speaks as a teacher, citing eternal śruti as authority. He contrasts the vastness of ultimate reality with the difficulty of the path, emphasizing the need for unwavering inner strength and austere conduct.