Shloka 15
Vasiṣṭha–Karāla-Janaka Saṃvāda: Aśuddha-Sevana, Guṇa-Dr̥ṣṭi, and Sāṃkhya–Yoga Ekārthatā
Mahābhārata 12.293
यश्न शुश्रूषते शूद्र: सततं नियतेन्द्रिय: । अतोडन्यथा मजनुष्येन्द्र स्वरर्मात् परिहीयते
yaś ca śuśrūṣate śūdraḥ satataṁ niyatendriyaḥ | ato ’nyathā manuṣyendra svarmāt parihīyate ||
Parāśara berkata: “Namun, Śūdra yang sentiasa berkhidmat (kepada golongan yang lebih tinggi) dengan indera yang terkawal tidak akan terjatuh daripada keadaan syurgawi. Jika tidak demikian, wahai insan terbaik, dia akan kehilangan ganjaran itu.”
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that disciplined, continual service (śuśrūṣā) performed with self-control is presented as a dharmic path that yields heavenly merit; neglecting this prescribed conduct results in losing that reward.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional discourse, Parāśara is explaining norms of conduct and their karmic outcomes, addressing a ‘best of men’ interlocutor and stating the consequence—attainment or loss of svarga—based on adherence to the described duty.