Shloka 15
अव्यक्त–प्रकृति–इन्द्रियविचारः
The Unmanifest, Prakṛtis, and the Sense-Complex
प्रसक्तबुद्धिर्विषयेषु यो नरो न बुध्यते हयात्महितं कथंचन । स सर्वभावानुगतेन चेतसा नृपामिषेणेव झषो विकृष्यते
prasaktabuddhir viṣayeṣu yo naro na budhyate hy ātma-hitaṃ kathaṃcana | sa sarva-bhāvānugatena cetasā nṛpāmiṣeṇeva jhaṣo vikṛṣyate ||
Orang yang pengertiannya melekat pada objek-objek indria sama sekali tidak mampu memahami apa yang sungguh bermanfaat bagi dirinya. Wahai raja, sebagaimana seekor ikan terpikat oleh daging umpan pada kail lalu terseret menuju derita, demikian pula ia—dengan batin yang dipenuhi segala macam nafsu—tertarik pada kenikmatan dan berakhir dalam duka.
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Attachment of the intellect to sense-objects destroys discernment of one’s true good (ātma-hita). Craving-laden mind pulls a person toward pleasures that end in suffering, like a fish drawn by bait to a hook.
Parāśara is instructing a king, using a vivid simile: the baited hook and fish. The verse functions as moral counsel within Śānti Parva’s broader teaching on restraint, right understanding, and the causes of bondage and sorrow.