Shloka 29
तृष्णाक्षय-उपदेशः
Instruction on the Cessation of Craving
मोघान्यगुप्तद्वारस्य सर्वाण्येव भवन्त्युत । कि तस्य तपसा कार्य कि यज्ञेन किमात्मना
moghāny aguptadvārasya sarvāṇy eva bhavanty uta | ki tasya tapasā kāryaṁ ki yajñena kim ātmanā ||
Kapila berkata: bagi orang yang “pintu-pintunya” tak terjaga, semua upaya kebajikan pun menjadi sia-sia. Apa guna tapa, apa guna yajña, bahkan apa guna perenungan batin, bila pengendalian diri tidak ada?
कपिल उवाच
Educational Q&A
Spiritual practices like tapas (austerity), yajña (sacrifice), and even inner contemplation bear fruit only when the ‘doors’—commonly understood as the senses and avenues of conduct—are guarded through self-restraint. Without control, good deeds lose their efficacy.
In the Shanti Parva’s instructional dialogue, Kapila is presenting a moral-philosophical critique: he warns that external religious acts and even inward practices are undermined if a person does not discipline the senses and protect the mind from uncontrolled impulses.