Shloka 71
यक्ष उवाच किंस्विदात्मा मनुष्यस्य किंस्विद् दैवकृत: सखा । उपजीवनं किंस्विदस्य किंस्विदस्य परायणम्
yakṣa uvāca kiṃsvid ātmā manuṣyasya kiṃsvid daivakṛtaḥ sakhā | upajīvanaṃ kiṃsvid asya kiṃsvid asya parāyaṇam |
Le Yakṣa demanda : «Qu’est-ce, en vérité, le propre soi de l’homme ? Quel compagnon lui est accordé par le destin ? Quel est son moyen de subsistance ? Et quel est son refuge suprême, son dernier recours ?»
यक्ष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a moral inquiry into four pillars of human life: one’s true self (ātmā), the role of destiny in companionship, the ethical basis of livelihood (upajīvana), and the ultimate refuge or highest good (parāyaṇa). It invites reflection on what should be relied upon—internally and externally—when making life choices.
In the Yakṣa episode of the Vana Parva, the Yakṣa tests the responder through probing questions. This verse is one such set of questions, pressing for definitions of self, fate-given companionship, livelihood, and ultimate refuge—meant to reveal discernment aligned with dharma.