Shloka 16

धर्मसूक्ष्मे त्यागप्रधान्यविचारः

Subtle Dharma and the Primacy of Renunciation

Devanagari script

अनुस्मृत्य तु शास्त्राणि कवय: समवस्थिता: । अपीह स्यादपीह स्यात्‌ सारासारदिदृक्षया,कहते हैं, किसी समय विद्वान्‌ पुरुषोंने सार और असार वस्तुका निर्णय करनेकी इच्छासे इकट्ठे होकर समस्त शास्त्रोंका बार-बार स्मरण करते हुए यह विचार आरम्भ किया कि क्या इस गार्हस्थ्य-जीवनमें कुछ सार है या इसके त्यागमें सार है?

Transliteration

anusmṛtya tu śāstrāṇi kavayaḥ samavasthitāḥ | apīha syād apīha syāt sārāsāradidṛkṣayā ||

Translation

ユディシュティラは言った。「諸々のシャーストラの教えを幾度も想起しつつ、賢者たちは相集った。要と不要、真髄と虚を見極めんとして、彼らはこの問いを起こした――『ここにおける家住の生活に、真の実りはあるのか。それとも、その放棄にこそ実りがあるのか』。」

Word by Word

अनुस्मृत्यhaving repeatedly remembered / recollecting

तुbut / indeed

शास्त्राणिtreatises, scriptures

कवयःsages, learned poets

समवस्थिताःassembled / gathered together

अपिalso / even

इहhere (in this matter / in this world)

स्यात्might be / could be

अपिalso / even

इहhere (in this matter / in this world)

स्यात्might be / could be

सारासारदिदृक्षयाby the desire to discern the essential and the non-essential

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

kavayaḥ (sages)

śāstrāṇi (scriptures)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharmic method: wise people repeatedly consult śāstra and then apply viveka—discerning ‘sāra’ (true value) from ‘asāra’ (mere appearance)—to decide whether worldly duties (gṛhastha life) or renunciation better serves the highest good.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira reports an archetypal debate: sages gather, recall scriptural authorities, and begin examining a central ethical question—whether the householder’s path contains the real ‘essence’ or whether the essence lies in giving it up.