Shloka 51
Narrative of the Śūdra’s Renunciation of Greed
with the Tulādhāra Greatness Prelude
सर्वे जिघांसवो मर्त्याः पशुमत्स्यविविष्किराः । तथा धनवतां नित्यं कथमर्थास्सुखावहाः
sarve jighāṃsavo martyāḥ paśumatsyaviviṣkirāḥ | tathā dhanavatāṃ nityaṃ kathamarthāssukhāvahāḥ
Semua insan fana digerakkan oleh dorongan membunuh—menyembelih binatang, ikan dan burung. Maka bagaimana harta, bagi orang yang memilikinya, dapat sentiasa benar-benar membawa kebahagiaan?
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses; likely within a Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue typical of the Purāṇic framing).
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पशु+मत्स्य+विविष्किराः इति समाहारः; पाठे ‘पशुमत्स्यविविष्किराः’ इति त्रिपद-समाससदृश-समुच्चयः (असमासेऽपि समासवत् लेखनम्). अर्थाः + सुखावहाः → अर्थास्सुखावहाः (विसर्गसन्धि: आः + स → आस्स).
FAQs
It questions the idea that wealth reliably brings happiness, pointing out that human life is often entangled with harm and violence (toward animals, fish, and birds), which undermines lasting peace.
It highlights an ethical tension: material gain frequently depends on or coexists with injury to other beings, suggesting that true well-being aligns better with restraint, compassion, and dharmic living than with mere accumulation.
It strongly supports vairāgya (dispassion) by challenging the permanence of pleasure derived from possessions; it implies that inner contentment is more stable than happiness tied to wealth.