Shloka 43
एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
अधिकारेपषु वर्तन्ते यथास्वं ब्रह्मवादिन: । सर्वे प्रमाणं हि यथा तथा तच्छास्त्रमुत्तमम्
adhikāreṣu vartante yathāsvaṃ brahmavādinaḥ | sarve pramāṇaṃ hi yathā tathā tacchāstram uttamam ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Para penutur Brahman bergerak dalam ranah kewenangan masing-masing, sesuai disiplin dan sudut pandang mereka. Dan karena semuanya, dengan caranya sendiri, merupakan otoritas yang sah, maka śāstra yang menempatkan hal itu secara tepat adalah yang tertinggi.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Different spiritual authorities operate within their own legitimate domains (adhikāra), and their teachings can be valid in their respective contexts; the best śāstra is the one that correctly recognizes and integrates this contextual validity.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right understanding, Bhīṣma explains to his listener that apparent diversity among brahmavādins need not be dismissed as error; rather, each may be authoritative within its proper scope, and wise doctrine accounts for such scope-based differences.