Shloka 1
Vasiṣṭha on Saṃsāra, Guṇas, and Misattributed Agency
Mahābhārata 12.292
अपना बा | अर द्विनवत्यथधिकद्विशततमो< ध्याय: पराशरगीता--धर्मो पार्जित धनकी श्रेष्ठता
parāśara uvāca | kaḥ kasya copakurute kaś ca kasmai prayacchati | prāṇī karoty ayaṃ karma sarvam ātmārtham ātmanā ||
ປາຣາຊະຣະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ພະຣາຊາ! ແທ້ຈິງແລ້ວ ໃຜຈຶ່ງເປັນຜູ້ເກື້ອກູນໃຜ, ແລະໃຜຈຶ່ງໃຫ້ແກ່ໃຜ? ສັດມີຊີວິດນີ້ ກະທຳການທັງປວງ ເພື່ອປະໂຫຍດຂອງຕົນ ໂດຍຕົນເອງ»។
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Parāśara challenges the ordinary notion of altruism by pointing out that embodied beings typically act from self-regard; recognizing this helps one examine motives and orient action toward dharma rather than ego-driven gain.
In Śānti Parva, Parāśara addresses a king and opens a didactic discourse by posing rhetorical questions about giving and helping, framing the discussion around the inner motives behind human action.