Shloka 28
अध्याय २९७ — श्रेयः, धृति, दान-नियमाः
Welfare, Steadfastness, and Norms of Giving
एक: शर्त्रुर्न द्वितीयो<$स्ति शरत्रु- रज्ञानतुल्य: पुरुषस्य राजन । येनावृतः कुरुते सम्प्रयुक्तो घोराणि कर्माणि सुदारुणानि
ekaḥ śatrur na dvitīyo 'sti śatruḥ—ajñānatulyaḥ puruṣasya rājan | yenāvṛtaḥ kurute samprayukto ghorāṇi karmāṇi sudāruṇāni ||
ಪರಾಶರನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ರಾಜನೇ! ಮನುಷ್ಯನಿಗೆ ನಿಜವಾದ ಶತ್ರು ಒಬ್ಬನೇ; ಅವನಿಗೆ ಸಮನಾದ ಎರಡನೆಯ ಶತ್ರು ಇಲ್ಲ. ಆ ಶತ್ರು ಅಜ್ಞಾನ. ಅದರಿಂದ ಆವೃತನಾಗಿ, ಅದರಿಂದ ಪ್ರೇರಿತನಾಗಿ ಮನುಷ್ಯನು ಭಯಂಕರವಾದ, ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಕ್ರೂರವಾದ ಕರ್ಮಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾನೆ।
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ignorance (ajñāna) is presented as the single greatest enemy of a person, because it obscures discernment and drives one toward dreadful, cruel actions; ethical reform therefore begins with removing ignorance through right knowledge and clarity.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, the sage Parāśara addresses a king and delivers a moral warning: the real adversary is not external foes but the inner veil of ignorance that impels destructive conduct.