Shloka 5
Kāma–Mamatā–Upadeśa
Discourse on Desire, Possessiveness, and Ritual Duty
अविनाशो<स्य सत्त्वस्य नियतो यदि भारत | भित्त्वा शरीरं भूतानामहिंसां प्रतिपद्यते,भरतनन्दन! यदि इस जगत्की सत्ताका विनाश न होना ही निश्चित हो, तब तो प्राणियोंके शरीरका भेदन करके भी मनुष्य अहिंसाका ही फल प्राप्त करेगा
avināśo 'sya sattvasya niyato yadi bhārata | bhittvā śarīraṃ bhūtānām ahiṃsāṃ pratipadyate ||
Vāyu bersabda: “Wahai Bhārata, bila diyakini sebagai kepastian bahwa hakikat keberadaan dunia ini tak dapat dimusnahkan, maka—menurut alasan itu—bahkan dengan menusuk tubuh makhluk hidup pun seseorang akan meraih buah ahimsa.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse tests a moral argument: if one assumes that the true essence of beings is indestructible, then physical harm could be wrongly claimed to be compatible with non-violence. It highlights the danger of using metaphysical claims to excuse हिंसा (harm) and to confuse ethical accountability.
Vāyudeva addresses a Bharata prince in a didactic exchange, presenting a pointed line of reasoning about indestructibility and the supposed ‘fruit’ of ahiṃsā, as part of a broader discussion on dharma and the moral evaluation of injury and action.