Shloka 37
Adhyāya 262: Śabda-brahman, Para-brahman, and the Ethics of Tyāga
Kapila–Syūmaraśmi Saṃvāda
जाजलिर्वाच न वै मुनीनां शृणुम: सम तत्त्वं पृच्छामि ते वाणिज कष्टमेतत् । पूर्वे पूर्वे चास्य नावेक्षमाणा नात: पर तमृषय: स्थापयन्ति
Jājaliḥ uvāca—na vai munīnāṁ śṛṇumaḥ sama-tattvaṁ pṛcchāmi te vāṇija kaṣṭam etat | pūrve pūrve cāsya nāvekṣamāṇā nātaḥ paraṁ tam ṛṣayaḥ sthāpayanti ||
Jājali berkata: “Wahai saudagar, yang utama di antara kaum waiśya! Di tengah para resi aku belum pernah mendengar ajaran ‘kebenaran yang setara’ seperti yang engkau nyatakan. Sungguh sukar dipahami. Para pelihat zaman dahulu tidak menelitinya dengan saksama; dan bahkan mereka yang menelitinya pun—meski ajaran itu luhur—tidak menegakkan dharma ini di dunia. Karena itu aku bertanya kepadamu—jelaskanlah kepadaku.”
चुलाधार उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a key ethical claim—Culādhāra’s ‘sama-tattva’ (impartial, equal regard) is presented as a high dharma that even many sages did not fully examine or successfully establish in society. Jājali’s response highlights that true dharma may be subtle, counter-traditional, and requires careful inquiry rather than mere reliance on precedent.
In the Jājali–Culādhāra dialogue of Śānti Parva, the ascetic Jājali admits he has not heard such a doctrine among sages and finds it difficult. He notes that ancient seers did not sufficiently reflect on it or institutionalize it, and therefore he directly asks the merchant Culādhāra to explain and clarify the teaching.