Shloka 35
आकिज्चन्यं सुसंतोषो निराशित्वमचापलम् | एतदेव पर ज्ञानं सदात्मज्ञानमुत्तमम्,कुछ भी संग्रह न रखना, सभी दशाओंमें अत्यन्त संतुष्ट रहना तथा कामना और लोलुपताको त्याग देना--यही परम ज्ञान है और यही सत्यस्वरूप उत्तम आत्मज्ञान है
ākiñcanyaṁ susantoṣo nirāśitvam acāpalam | etad eva paraṁ jñānaṁ sadātmajñānam uttamam ||
The hunter said: “To possess nothing, to remain deeply content in every condition, and to abandon craving and restless greed—this alone is the highest knowledge. This is the supreme self-knowledge that accords with truth.”
व्याध उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines ‘highest knowledge’ as an inner discipline: non-accumulation (ākiñcanya), unwavering contentment (susantoṣa), freedom from expectation (nirāśitva), and steadiness without restless wavering (acāpalam). Together these purify the mind and make true self-knowledge (sat-ātma-jñāna) possible.
In the Vana Parva’s dharma-instruction context, the hunter (vyādha) speaks as a moral teacher, presenting a practical path of inner renunciation and mental steadiness, emphasizing that genuine wisdom is measured by conduct and detachment rather than status or outward appearance.