Shloka 4
निरय-परमस्थान-वर्णनम्
Niraya and the Supreme Station: A Metaphysical Re-reading
तत्राप्येवंविधा लोके वृत्ति: सत्यानृते भवेत् । धर्माधरमाँ प्रकाशश्न॒ तमो दुःखं सुखं तथा
tatrāpy evaṃvidhā loke vṛttiḥ satyānṛte bhavet | dharmādharmau prakāśaś ca tamo duḥkhaṃ sukhaṃ tathā ||
भरद्वाज बोले—लोक में भी ऐसी ही वृत्ति समझनी चाहिए: सत्य और असत्य ही धर्म-अधर्म के मानदण्ड बनते हैं; वही प्रकाश और अन्धकार हैं, और वही दुःख तथा सुख भी।
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links ethical reality to truthfulness: truth and untruth are not merely statements but forces that manifest as dharma/adharma, clarity/obscurity, and ultimately happiness/suffering. It teaches that moral discernment begins with recognizing how truth aligns with light and well-being, while untruth aligns with darkness and distress.
Bharadvāja is instructing the listener within the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, framing a moral analysis of worldly conduct (vṛtti). He explains how fundamental opposites—truth/untruth—structure human life and are experienced as ethical and existential outcomes.