Shloka 67
तृष्णाक्षय-उपदेशः
Instruction on the Cessation of Craving
नास्तिक्यमन्यथा च स्याद् वेदानां पृष्ठत: क्रिया । एतस्यानन्त्यमिच्छामि भगवन् श्रोतुमञण्जसा
nāstikyam anyathā ca syād vedānāṁ pṛṣṭhataḥ kriyā | etasyānantyam icchāmi bhagavan śrotum añjasā |
ନହେଲେ ଏହା ନାସ୍ତିକତା ହେବ, ଏବଂ ବେଦଙ୍କ ପ୍ରତି ଅବହେଳା—ଯେପରି କର୍ମକୁ ବେଦଙ୍କ ‘ପଛେ’ ଠେଲିଦିଆଗଲା। ତେଣୁ, ଭଗବନ୍, ମୁଁ ଏହାର ଅନନ୍ତ ତାତ୍ପର୍ୟ ସ୍ପଷ୍ଟଭାବେ ଶୁଣିବାକୁ ଚାହୁଁଛି—ବେଦବିହିତ କର୍ମକାଣ୍ଡକୁ ବ୍ୟର୍ଥ ନ ଭାବି, ତାହାକୁ ମୋକ୍ଷସାଧନ ଭାବେ କିପରି ବୁଝିବା?
कपिल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames rejection of Vedic ritual discipline (kriyā/karma-kāṇḍa) as sliding toward nāstikya—denial of Vedic authority. It asks for a clear account of how ritual action, properly understood, can still have a legitimate role on the path to liberation rather than being dismissed as pointless.
In the Shānti Parva’s philosophical discourse, Kapila speaks to a revered interlocutor (“bhagavan”), raising a doctrinal concern: if one abandons the Vedic ritual portion as useless, it risks contempt for the Vedas. Kapila therefore requests a direct explanation of the deeper, ‘boundless’ rationale by which Vedic action can be reconciled with the pursuit of mokṣa.