Shloka 10
Adhyāya 287 — Janaka’s Inquiry on Śreyas, Abhayadāna, and Asaṅga
Non-attachment
शास्त्र यदि भवेदेकं श्रेयो व्यक्ते भवेत् तदा । शास्त्रैश्व बहुभिर्भूय: श्रेयो गुहां प्रवेशितम्
śāstra yadi bhaved ekaṃ śreyo vyakte bhavet tadā | śāstraiś ca bahubhir bhūyaḥ śreyo guhāṃ praveśitam ||
Seandainya hanya ada satu śāstra, maka jalan menuju kebaikan tertinggi pun akan tampak jelas karena hanya satu. Tetapi karena banyak śāstra berbicara dengan banyak cara, kebaikan tertinggi itu seakan didorong masuk ke dalam gua—menjadi amat tersembunyi dan sukar dikenali.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma highlights a problem of plurality: when many śāstras present differing formulations, the seeker may find the highest good (śreyas) harder to identify. The verse urges discernment—separating the essential aim from competing presentations.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and the means to true welfare. Here he remarks that the abundance of scriptural teachings can obscure rather than clarify the path, making śreyas seem hidden like something placed in a cave.