Shloka 106
पञ्चवर्णोत्पत्तिः — The Origin of the Five-Colored Fiery Being and Ritual-Disruptor Lineages
वज्चनायां च लोकस्य स सुखी जीवते सदा । तथा दूसरा मनुष्य, जो निरन्तर जीवोंकी हिंसाके लिये उद्यत रहता है और सदा लोगोंको ठगनेमें ही लगा रहता है, वह सुखपूर्वक जीवन बिताता देखा जाता है
vañcanāyāṃ ca lokasya sa sukhī jīvate sadā | tathā dvitīyo manuṣyaḥ yo nirantaraṃ jīvānāṃ hiṃsāyai udyataḥ tiṣṭhati ca sadā lokān vañcane eva lagnaḥ sa sukhapūrvakaṃ jīvanaṃ bitayati dṛśyate |
The hunter said: 'One who lives by deceiving the world is seen to live happily all the time. Likewise, another kind of man—ever intent on harming living beings and constantly absorbed in cheating people—also appears to pass his life in comfort.' In this context, the speaker points to the troubling spectacle of apparent prosperity enjoyed by the unethical, setting up a deeper inquiry into how dharma operates beyond immediate appearances.
व्याध उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral paradox: people who deceive others or harm living beings may appear to live comfortably. This observation is used to push the discussion beyond surface outcomes toward a deeper understanding of dharma and karmic consequence, which may not be immediately visible.
The hunter (vyādha) is speaking and drawing attention to what is commonly observed in society—wrongdoers sometimes seem to prosper. This functions as a setup for further instruction, challenging simplistic ideas that virtue always yields instant reward and vice instant punishment.