Shloka 28
Adhyāya 262: Śabda-brahman, Para-brahman, and the Ethics of Tyāga
Kapila–Syūmaraśmi Saṃvāda
तस्मात् तानृत्विजो लुब्धा याजयन्त्यशुभान् नरान्,लोभी ऋत्विज तो ऐसे लोगोंका ही यज्ञ कराते हैं, जो अशुभ (मोक्षकी इच्छासे रहित) होते हैं, श्रेष्ठ पुरुष तो स्वधर्मका आचरण करते हुए ही प्रजाको स्वर्गमें पहुँचा देते हैं। जाजले! यही सोचकर मेरी बुद्धि भी सर्वत्र समान भाव ही रखती है
tasmāt tān ṛtvijo lubdhā yājayanty aśubhān narān | lobhī ṛtvijaḥ to aise logoṅ kā hī yajña karāte haiṅ, jo aśubha (mokṣa-kī icchā-se rahita) hote haiṅ; śreṣṭha puruṣa to svadharma-kā ācaraṇa karate hue hī prajā-ko svarga-meṅ pahuṅcā dete haiṅ | jājale! yahī socakara merī buddhi bhī sarvatra samāna bhāva hī rakhatī hai ||
Oleh itu, para ṛtvij (pendeta upacara) yang tamak mengendalikan yajña untuk orang-orang seperti itu—mereka yang bersifat tidak baik, tanpa hasrat menuju moksha. Namun insan yang benar-benar mulia membimbing rakyat ke syurga hanya dengan teguh mengamalkan svadharma mereka sendiri. Wahai Jājali, dengan renungan demikian, pemahamanku tetap seimbang dan tidak memihak di mana-mana.
चुलाधार उवाच
Educational Q&A
Cūlādhāra contrasts outward ritual with inner ethical orientation: priests driven by greed tend to serve people lacking higher aims, whereas the truly noble uplift society through faithful practice of svadharma and an impartial, equal-minded outlook.
In the Cūlādhāra–Jājali discourse of Śānti Parva, Cūlādhāra instructs Jājali by criticizing mercenary priestcraft and asserting that genuine excellence lies in righteous conduct that benefits the community, culminating in the ideal of samāna-bhāva (equanimity).