Adhyāya 287 — Janaka’s Inquiry on Śreyas, Abhayadāna, and Asaṅga
Non-attachment
श्रोत्रियास्त्वग्रभोक्तारो धर्मनित्या: सनातना: | याजनाध्यापने युक्ता यत्र तद् राष्ट्रमावसेत्
śrotriyās tv agrabhoktāro dharmanityāḥ sanātanāḥ | yājanādhyāpane yuktā yatra tad rāṣṭram āvaset ||
Nārada berkata: “Di mana tinggal para sarjana Veda (śrotriya)—mereka yang tidak merebut bahagian pertama untuk diri, yang sentiasa teguh dalam dharma dan berakar pada tradisi purba, serta tekun melaksanakan yajña untuk orang lain dan mengajar—di situlah sesebuah kerajaan benar-benar tegak dalam kestabilan dan kesejahteraan.”
नारद उवाच
A kingdom becomes stable and truly prosperous where learned, disciplined Vedic scholars live—people who are not driven by greed for the first share, who are steady in dharma, and who sustain society through teaching and priestly service.
Nārada is describing the marks of a well-founded realm in the Śānti Parva’s discourse on governance and dharma, emphasizing that the presence of virtuous teachers and ritual specialists supports the moral and institutional health of the state.