Shloka 31
Vidyā–Avidyā and the Twenty-Fifth Principle
Sāṃkhya–Yoga Clarification
सुखे तु वर्तमानो वै दुःखे वापि नरोत्तम | सुवृत्ताद् यो न चलते शास्त्रचक्षु;ः स मानव:
sukhe tu vartamāno vai duḥkhe vāpi narottama | suvṛttād yo na calate śāstracakṣuḥ sa mānavaḥ ||
Quer viva na felicidade, quer enfrente a tristeza, ó melhor dos homens, aquele que não se desvia da boa conduta—guiado pelo olho discernente dos śāstras—é, de fato, um ser humano digno.
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A person’s true worth is shown by steadiness in dharma: remaining anchored in good conduct and guided by śāstra, without wavering in either pleasure or pain.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right living, Parāśara addresses a listener as ‘narottama’ and defines the mark of a genuine human being as unwavering adherence to virtuous conduct, supported by scriptural discernment, regardless of changing circumstances.