Shloka 12
Vidyā–Avidyā and the Twenty-Fifth Principle
Sāṃkhya–Yoga Clarification
निर्वेदादात्मसम्बोध: सम्बोधाच्छास्त्रदर्शनम् । शाल्त्रार्थदर्शनाद् राज॑ंस्तप एवानुपश्यति
nirvedād ātma-sambodhaḥ | sambodhāc chāstra-darśanam | śāstrārtha-darśanād rājan tapa evānupaśyati ||
パラーシャラは言った。「離欲（ヴァイラーギャ）より自己への覚醒が生まれる。その覚醒より、聖典（シャーストラ）へと正しく向き直る心が起こる。そして聖典の意味と意図を明らかに悟るとき、王よ、人はタパス（苦行）――自制と内なる修行――こそが福祉と霊的善へ至る手段そのものであると知る。」
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a spiritual progression: dispassion (nirveda) leads to Self-awakening (ātma-sambodha); Self-awakening leads to sincere engagement with scripture; and understanding scripture’s meaning culminates in valuing tapas—disciplined austerity—as the effective means to true good.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation-oriented conduct, the sage Parāśara addresses a king, explaining how inner detachment matures into Self-knowledge, then into scriptural inquiry, and finally into commitment to austerity as a practical path.