Shloka 9
धर्मसूक्ष्मे त्यागप्रधान्यविचारः
Subtle Dharma and the Primacy of Renunciation
तपस्त्यागो5विधिरिति निश्चयस्त्वेष धीमताम् । परं परं ज्याय एपषां येषां नैश्रेयसी मति:
tapas tyāgo ’vidhir iti niścayas tveṣa dhīmatām | paraṃ paraṃ jyāya eṣāṃ yeṣāṃ naiśreyasī matiḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Di kalangan orang bijak, inilah kesimpulan yang mantap: tapa (laku asketis), tyāga (pelepasan), dan hakikat yang melampaui sekadar ketentuan ritual. Bagi mereka yang pengertiannya tertambat pada kebaikan tertinggi, yang berikutnya selalu lebih unggul daripada yang sebelumnya.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse ranks spiritual means for those seeking the highest good: austerity (tapas), renunciation (tyāga), and a state/knowledge beyond mere ritual injunctions (avidhi). It teaches a progressive hierarchy where inner freedom and liberating insight are superior to external discipline alone.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Yudhiṣṭhira articulates a reflective conclusion about the relative value of spiritual practices, emphasizing that seekers oriented toward ultimate welfare should move from austerity to renunciation and finally to liberating understanding beyond ritual formalism.