Shloka 10
Adhyāya 39 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on attachment (saṅga) and relational restraint
एतत् पृथिव्याममृतमेतच्चक्षुरनुत्तमम् । यद् ब्राह्मणमुखात् शास्त्रमिह श्रुत्वा प्रवर्तते,ब्राह्मणके मुखसे शास्त्रका उपदेश सुनकर इस जीवनमें उसके अनुसार बर्ताव करना ही पृथ्वीपर सर्वोत्तम अमृत और सर्वोत्तम दृष्टि है
etat pṛthivyām amṛtam etac cakṣur anuttamam | yad brāhmaṇamukhāt śāstram iha śrutvā pravartate ||
Isto é o néctar mais excelente sobre a terra, e isto é o “olho” insuperável do discernimento: que uma pessoa, tendo ouvido o ensinamento do śāstra da boca de um brāhmaṇa, conduza-se de acordo com ele nesta mesma vida. Em outras palavras, a verdadeira imortalidade e a verdadeira visão aqui são alcançadas ao ouvir a instrução autorizada e vivê-la como prática.
शम्बर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the highest benefit in human life is not merely hearing sacred instruction, but hearing it from a qualified brāhmaṇa-teacher and then embodying it in conduct. Such lived adherence to śāstra is called the supreme ‘amṛta’ (life-giving, death-transcending good) and the supreme ‘eye’ (clear moral discernment).
Śambara is speaking and praises the transformative power of receiving śāstric guidance from a brāhmaṇa and acting upon it. The statement functions as a didactic affirmation within Anuśāsana Parva’s broader emphasis on instruction (anuśāsana), ethical discipline, and the authority of dharma-teaching.