Shloka 21
कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः
Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma
यद्येष पुरुषो वेद वेदा अपि न त॑ विदुः । सर्वमाश्नर्यमेवैतन्निवृत्तं राजसत्तम
yadyeṣa puruṣo veda vedā api na taṁ viduḥ | sarvam āścaryam evaitan nivṛttaṁ rājasattama ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : « Si cet homme connaît véritablement (la vérité), alors même les Veda ne le “connaissent” pas — tant son état est subtil et hors de portée ordinaire. Tout cela est vraiment merveilleux, ô le meilleur des rois, car il s’est détourné de l’engagement mondain et demeure retiré (du désir et de l’action). »
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the paradox that ultimate realization can transcend even scriptural description: a truly withdrawn, desireless knower may be ‘beyond’ what the Vedas can fully capture in words, emphasizing lived renunciation over mere textual learning.
Vaiśampāyana comments to a king (addressed as ‘best of kings’) about an extraordinary person’s state: the person is described as having turned away from worldly engagement, and this withdrawal is presented as a marvel that surpasses ordinary understanding.