Shloka 38
अव्यक्त–प्रकृति–इन्द्रियविचारः
The Unmanifest, Prakṛtis, and the Sense-Complex
संकल्पजो मित्रवर्गो ज्ञातय: कारणात्मका: । भार्या पुत्रश्न दासश्न स्वमर्थमनुयुज्यते
saṅkalpajo mitravargo jñātayaḥ kāraṇātmakāḥ | bhāryā putraś ca dāsaś ca svam artham anuyujyate ||
パラーシャラは言った。「友は意図と欲望から生まれる。親族でさえ、何らかの目的ゆえに縁を保つ。妻も子も僕もまた、それぞれ自らの利を追う。ゆえに、人の交わりの底にしばしば潜む利己を見抜き、無邪気な依存ではなく識別をもって行動すべきである。」
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Parāśara highlights that many social bonds—friendship, kinship, even household relations—often operate through motives and self-interest; therefore one should cultivate discernment and non-attachment, grounding oneself in dharma rather than dependence on others’ affection.
In Śānti Parva’s didactic discourse, Parāśara speaks as a teacher, offering a sober observation about worldly relationships to guide the listener toward renunciation-minded wisdom and ethical clarity.