Shloka 68
Narrative of the Śūdra’s Renunciation of Greed
with the Tulādhāra Greatness Prelude
इत्युक्तेषु च देवेषु शूद्रो वचनमब्रवीत् । कथं निर्ग्रंथकस्यास्य ज्ञानं चेष्टास्य भाषणम्
ityukteṣu ca deveṣu śūdro vacanamabravīt | kathaṃ nirgraṃthakasyāsya jñānaṃ ceṣṭāsya bhāṣaṇam
Setelah para dewa berkata demikian, si Śūdra pun bersabda: “Bagaimana mungkin orang ini—yang nirgrantha (tanpa kitab/ tanpa ikatan)—memiliki pengetahuan, perilaku, dan tutur kata seperti ini?”
Śūdra (a man of the Śūdra class, speaking in the narrative)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ityukteṣu = इति उक्तेषु; वचनमब्रवीत् = वचनम् अब्रवीत्; निर्ग्रंथकस्यास्य = निर्ग्रन्थकस्य अस्य; ज्ञानं चेष्टास्य = ज्ञानम् च ईष्टा/चेष्टा अस्य (पाठभेद-सूचना: ‘चेष्टा’ अपेक्षिता);
FAQs
A Śūdra speaks after the gods have spoken; he questions the status of a ‘nirgrantha’ person (an ascetic/one without bonds) who displays knowledge, proper conduct, and refined speech.
In this context it points to someone ‘without grantha/bonds’—commonly an ascetic detached from possessions and worldly ties; it can also be understood as ‘without scriptures’ depending on interpretive tradition, but the thrust is surprise that such a person exhibits wisdom and eloquence.
The verse highlights a common bias: judging knowledge and virtue by external markers (status, learning credentials, possessions). It implies that true wisdom and good conduct can appear in those who are outwardly unconventional or socially underestimated.