Shloka 21
अध्वर्यु–यति संवादः
Adhvaryu–Yati Dialogue on Svabhāva, Ahiṃsā, and Mokṣa
एक ओर तो तुम किसी प्राणीके प्राण लेनेके कार्यसे निवृत्त हो और दूसरी ओर हिंसामें लगे हुए हो। द्विजवर! कोई भी चेष्टा हिंसाके बिना नहीं होती। फिर तुम कैसे समझते हो कि तुम्हारे द्वारा अहिंसाका ही पालन हो रहा है?
ekāṃ ora to tvaṃ kasyacid prāṇinaḥ prāṇaharaṇakāryāt nivṛttaḥ, aparāṃ ca ora hiṃsāyāṃ pravṛttaḥ asi. dvijavara! na kaścid api ceṣṭā hiṃsāṃ vinā bhavati. tarhi kathaṃ tvaṃ manyase yat tvayā ahimsaiva pālyate?
Brahmana itu berkata: “Di satu pihak engkau mendakwa menjauhkan diri daripada mengambil nyawa mana-mana makhluk, namun di pihak lain engkau masih terlibat dalam kekerasan. Wahai yang terbaik antara yang dua kali lahir! Tiada suatu perbuatan pun yang mungkin tanpa sedikit mudarat. Maka bagaimana engkau menyangka bahawa apa yang engkau amalkan itu semata-mata tanpa kekerasan?”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse challenges simplistic claims of absolute non-violence by arguing that ordinary action (ceṣṭā) inevitably causes some harm; therefore, ethical life requires honest discernment about intention, necessity, and consequences rather than self-congratulation.
A brāhmaṇa speaker confronts another ‘best of the twice-born’ who claims to have renounced killing, pointing out an inconsistency: despite professing restraint, he is still implicated in violence through action itself, and is asked to justify calling his conduct pure ahimsa.