Shloka 22
कालनिर्देशः शोकनिवारणं च
Instruction on Kāla and the Removal of Grief
गुरुतल्पं हि गुर्वर्थ न दूषयति मानवम् | उद्दालक: श्वेतकेतुं जनयामास शिष्यत:
guru-talpaṁ hi gurv-arthaṁ na dūṣayati mānavam | uddālakaḥ śvetaketuṁ janayāmāsa śiṣyataḥ ||
गुरुतल्पं हि गुर्वर्थे न दूषयति मानवम् । उद्दालकः श्वेतकेतुं जनयामास शिष्यतः ॥
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
An act normally considered improper becomes non-defiling when performed solely for the guru’s purpose under the guru’s explicit authority; dharma is judged by intention, context, and rightful command, not by a rule in isolation.
Vyāsa cites an illustrative precedent: Uddālaka is said to have arranged for Śvetaketu’s begetting through a disciple, presenting it as an example used in dharma-discussion to show that exceptional circumstances, tied to a guru’s purpose and sanction, can alter the moral status of an act.