Shloka 22
कपिल–स्यूमरश्मि संवादः
Kapila and Syūmaraśmi on Renunciation, Householder Support, and Epistemic Authority
नद्यां चेह यथा काष्ठमुहामानं यदृच्छया । यदृच्छयैव काछ्लेन सन्धिं गच्छेत केनचित्
nadyāṃ ceha yathā kāṣṭham ūḍhamānaṃ yadṛcchayā | yadṛcchayaiva kāṣṭhena sandhiṃ gacchet kenacit ||
यथा नद्यां काष्ठं यदृच्छया वहमानं यदृच्छयैव काष्ठेन केनचित् सन्धिं गच्छति, तथैव लोकेऽपि सङ्गमाः सङ्गतयश्च बहुधा अयत्नतः सम्भवन्ति। तस्मात् यदृच्छासंयोगमात्रेण न मानं न द्वेषं नासक्तिं च कुर्यात्; धर्मे तु स्थैर्येण विवेकेन च वर्तेत्।
तुलाधार उवाच
Educational Q&A
Tūlādhāra teaches that many encounters and connections arise by mere chance, like logs meeting in a river; therefore one should not base strong attachment, enmity, or ego on such accidental conjunctions, but remain grounded in dharma and clear judgment.
In Śānti Parva’s dialogue, Tūlādhāra speaks in a didactic tone, using a simple natural simile (logs drifting and meeting) to explain the contingent nature of worldly associations and to guide the listener toward steadiness and non-attachment.