व्यामोहमेव गच्छंति किं श्रेय इति वादिनः । यदेतेषु परं कृत्यम् नुष्ठेयं महात्मभिः
vyāmohameva gacchaṃti kiṃ śreya iti vādinaḥ | yadeteṣu paraṃ kṛtyam nuṣṭheyaṃ mahātmabhiḥ
Para pendebat yang berkata, “Apakah yang sungguh membawa śreyas (kebaikan tertinggi)?” hanya jatuh ke dalam kebingungan. Karena itu, di antara semua ini, apa pun yang merupakan kewajiban tertinggi hendaknya diamalkan oleh para mahātmā.
Narrative voice (context not explicit in snippet; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)
Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (frame typical)
Scene: Two disputants with raised hands and furrowed brows; behind them a calm mahātmā points toward a simple practice—japa beads, a liṅga, or a path leading to a shrine—symbolizing decisive sādhana.
Mere debate about the ‘best’ path breeds confusion; the wise focus on practicing the highest, most fruitful duty.
No site is mentioned; the passage is ethical-philosophical.
It gives a general prescription: perform the highest kṛtya (duty) rather than arguing—no specific rite is named.