Shloka 21
उपविष्टा: शयानाक्ष घ्नन्ति जीवाननेकश: । ज्ञानविज्ञानवन्तक्ष तत्र कि प्रतिभाति ते,'ज्ञान-विज्ञानसम्पन्न पुरुष भी (अनजानमें) बैठते-सोते समय अनेक जीवोंकी हिंसा कर बैठते हैं। उनके विषयमें आप क्या समझते हैं?
upaviṣṭāḥ śayānāś ca ghnanti jīvān anekaśaḥ | jñāna-vijñānavantaś ca tatra kiṃ pratibhāti te ||
Mārkaṇḍeya berkata— “Bahkan orang yang berpengetahuan dan berdaya-beda pun, ketika duduk atau terlelap berbaring, tanpa sengaja membunuh banyak makhluk hidup. Maka bagaimana, menurutmu, hal yang tak terelakkan ini harus dipandang?”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse raises the ethical problem of unavoidable, unintended harm (hiṃsā) that occurs in ordinary life even for the wise, prompting reflection on how dharma evaluates action: not only by outcome, but also by intention, awareness, and the broader duties of living.
Mārkaṇḍeya poses a probing question to his interlocutor: if even learned, discerning people inadvertently kill small creatures simply by sitting or sleeping, what conclusion should be drawn about moral culpability and the practical limits of non-violence in embodied life.