Shloka 42
Adhyāya 262: Śabda-brahman, Para-brahman, and the Ethics of Tyāga
Kapila–Syūmaraśmi Saṃvāda
पुरोडाशो हि सर्वेषां पशूनां मेध्य उच्यते । सर्वा नद्य: सरस्वत्य: सर्वे पुण्या: शिलोच्चया:
puroḍāśo hi sarveṣāṁ paśūnāṁ medhya ucyate | sarvā nadyaḥ sarasvatyaḥ sarve puṇyāḥ śilocchayāḥ ||
Tulādhāra berkata: Puroḍāśa—kue persembahan yang disiapkan menurut tata yajña dari hasil semua makhluk—dinyatakan menyucikan. Dalam semangat yang sama, semua sungai hendaknya dipandang sebagai wujud Sarasvatī, dan semua gunung sebagai puncak yang suci. Kesucian tidak terikat pada satu bahan atau satu tempat saja; di mana ada hormat, tata yang benar, dan laku dharma, di sanalah kesucian hadir.
तुलाधार उवाच
Educational Q&A
Holiness and purification are not restricted to a single exclusive object or location. The verse affirms a broad, inclusive vision: the properly enjoined offering is purifying, and sacredness can be recognized widely—every river as Sarasvatī and every mountain as a holy height—encouraging reverence and ethical regard beyond narrow ritual boundaries.
In the Śānti Parva’s discourse, Tulādhāra is instructing his interlocutor on dharma by reframing ritual and sacred space. He cites the purifying status of the puroḍāśa and then expands the idea of sanctity to all rivers and mountains, steering the discussion toward a more universal understanding of purity and sacredness.