Shloka 9
कपिलगोसंवादे गृहस्थ-त्यागधर्मयोः प्रमाण्यविचारः
Kapila–Cow Dialogue: Authority of Householder and Renunciant Dharmas
द्विजश्रेष्ठ काशीमें महायशस्वी तुलाधार रहते हैं, जो वणिक्-धर्मका पालन करते हैं; किंतु वे भी ऐसी बात नहीं कह सकते, जैसी आज आप कह रहे हैं' ।।
dvijaśreṣṭha kāśyāṃ mahāyaśasvī tulādhāro vasati, yo vaṇik-dharmam ācarati; kintu sa api tādṛśīṃ vācam na śaknoti vaktum yādṛśīm adya bhavān vadati. ity ukto jājaliḥ bhūtaiḥ pratyuvāca mahātapāḥ—paśyeyaṃ tam ahaṃ prājñaṃ tulādhāraṃ yaśasvinam.
भूतैरुक्तं—“द्विजश्रेष्ठ, काश्यां तुलाधारो नाम महायशाः वणिग्धर्मपरायणो वसति; सऽपि त्वद्वदेतादृशं वक्तुं न शक्नोति।” इत्युक्तोऽदृश्यैर्भूतैर्महातपा जाजलिरुवाच—“किं तं प्राज्ञं यशस्विनं तुलाधारं द्रष्टुमर्हामि?”॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma and true wisdom are not guaranteed by ascetic identity alone; ethical excellence can be embodied by a householder—here, a merchant—whose lived practice of fairness and restraint may surpass mere claims or pride.
Unseen beings tell the ascetic Jājali that in Kāśī there is a famed merchant, Tulādhāra, associated with exemplary conduct, and that even he would not speak as Jājali is speaking. Prompted by this, Jājali asks to meet (see) Tulādhāra, setting up a teacher–seeker encounter.