Shloka 30
Vyāghra–Gomāyu Saṃvāda (व्याघ्रगोमायु संवाद) — Testing Character Beneath Appearances
राजोपक्रोशदोषाश्न सर्वे संश्रयवासिनाम् । व्रतचर्या तु नि:संगा निर्भया वनवासिनाम्
rājopakrōśa-doṣāśn sarve saṁśraya-vāsinām | vrata-caryā tu niḥsaṅgā nirbhayā vana-vāsinām ||
राजोपक्रोशदोषाश्न सर्वे संश्रयवासिनाम् । व्रतचर्या तु निःसङ्गा निर्भया वनवासिनाम् ॥
शार्टूल उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dependence on political power brings moral entanglement: those who live by a king’s shelter share in the ethical fallout of the king’s censures and controversies. By contrast, the forest-ascetic ideal is presented as a life of disciplined vows marked by non-attachment and freedom from fear.
Śārṭūla contrasts two modes of life—courtly dependence versus forest renunciation—arguing that proximity to royal authority inevitably involves one in blame and fault, whereas the forest-dweller’s vowed practice remains detached and fearless.