Shloka 22
Jñāna-plava (The Raft of Knowledge): Svabhāva, Prajñā, and the Ascent to Ātmajñāna
तत्त्वज्ञ पुरुषको चाहिये कि वह अपमानको अमृतके समान समझकर उससे संतुष्ट हो और विद्वान् मनुष्य सम्मानको विषके तुल्य समझकर उससे सदा डरता रहे ।।
jaigīṣavya uvāca | tattvajñaḥ puruṣaḥ kāmayed yat sa apamānaṃ amṛtavat manyamānaḥ tena tuṣyeta, vidvān tu mānaṃ viṣavat manyamānaḥ tasmāt sadā bibheti || avajñātaḥ sukhaṃ śete iha cāmutra cābhayam | vimuktaḥ sarvadoṣebhyo yo ’vamantā sa badhyate ||
Seorang yang mengetahui hakikat hendaknya memandang hinaan seperti amerta dan merasa cukup karenanya; dan orang bijak hendaknya menganggap kehormatan seperti racun, sehingga selalu waspada terhadapnya. Orang yang dipandang rendah tidur tenteram, tanpa takut di dunia ini maupun di alam sana, karena ia bebas dari segala cela; tetapi orang yang menghina dirinya terbelenggu oleh ikatan dosa.
जैगीषव्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Treat dishonor as spiritually beneficial—like nectar—because it reduces ego and loosens attachment; treat honor as dangerous—like poison—because it inflates pride and invites downfall. The insulted person who remains steady gains fearlessness, while the insulter accrues binding demerit.
Within the Shanti Parva’s dharma instruction, the sage Jaigīṣavya delivers a moral maxim: the wise should not chase public esteem, and should endure contempt without inner disturbance, emphasizing karmic consequences for both the patient sufferer and the aggressor.