Shloka 12
Vidyā–Avidyā and the Twenty-Fifth Principle
Sāṃkhya–Yoga Clarification
निर्वेदादात्मसम्बोध: सम्बोधाच्छास्त्रदर्शनम् । शाल्त्रार्थदर्शनाद् राज॑ंस्तप एवानुपश्यति,राजन! वैराग्यसे मनुष्यको आत्मतत्त्वकी जिज्ञासा होती है। जिज्ञासासे शास््त्रोंके स्वाध्यायमें मन लगता है तथा शास्त्रोंके अर्थ और भावके ज्ञानसे वह तपको ही कल्याणका साधन समझता है
nirvedād ātma-sambodhaḥ | sambodhāc chāstra-darśanam | śāstrārtha-darśanād rājan tapa evānupaśyati ||
Wahai Raja! Dari ketidakmelekatan (vairāgya) timbul kebangkitan akan Diri (Ātman). Dari kebangkitan itu lahir pandangan yang benar terhadap śāstra. Dan ketika makna serta maksud śāstra dipahami dengan jernih, wahai Raja, ia melihat tapas—laku disiplin dan pengendalian diri—sebagai sarana utama menuju kesejahteraan rohani.
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a spiritual progression: dispassion (nirveda) leads to Self-awakening (ātma-sambodha); Self-awakening leads to sincere engagement with scripture; and understanding scripture’s meaning culminates in valuing tapas—disciplined austerity—as the effective means to true good.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation-oriented conduct, the sage Parāśara addresses a king, explaining how inner detachment matures into Self-knowledge, then into scriptural inquiry, and finally into commitment to austerity as a practical path.