Shloka 2
अज्ञान–लोभयोः परस्परहेतुत्वम्
Mutual Causality of Ignorance and Greed
शौनकने कहा--राजन्! तुमने ऐसी प्रतिज्ञा की है, इससे जान पड़ता है कि तुम्हारा मन पापकी ओरसे निवृत्त हो गया है; इसलिये मैं तुम्हें धर्मका उपदेश करूँगा; क्योंकि तुम श्रीसम्पन्न, महाबलवान् और संतुष्टचित हो। साथ ही स्वयं धर्मपर दृष्टि रखते हो ।।
śaunaka uvāca—rājan! tvayā īdṛśī pratijñā kṛtā; tasmāt pratīyate yat tava manaḥ pāpāt nivṛttam. ataḥ ahaṃ te dharmam upadiśāmi; yataḥ tvaṃ śrī-sampannaḥ, mahā-balavān, saṃtuṣṭa-cittaś ca; sārdhaṃ ca svayaṃ dharme dṛṣṭiṃ dharasi. purastād dāruṇo bhūtvā su-citrataram eva tat | anugṛhṇāti bhūtāni svena vṛttena pārthivaḥ ||
シャウナカは言った。「王よ、かくのごとき誓いを立てたことにより、汝の心が罪より退いたことがうかがえる。ゆえに我は汝にダルマを教えよう。汝は富み栄え、力大にして、心は満ち足り、しかも自ら正義を見つめている。まことに驚くべきは、かつて苛烈であった統治者が、のちに柔和を採り、己が正しき行いによって、あらゆる生きとし生けるものに恩恵と護りを及ぼすことである。」
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s true excellence lies in turning away from wrongdoing and governing through dharma: even if once severe, the king becomes admirable when he adopts gentleness and benefits all beings through upright personal conduct.
Śaunaka addresses a king who has taken a morally significant vow, infers that the king’s mind has withdrawn from sin, and therefore begins to teach dharma, praising the rare transformation of a harsh ruler into a compassionate protector.