Shloka 51
नारद–शुक संवादः
Impermanence, Svabhāva, and Śuka’s Resolve for Yoga
यो घृतार्थी खरीक्षीरं मथेद् गन्धर्वसत्तम | विष्ठां तत्रानुपश्येत न मण्डं न च वै घृतम्
yo ghṛtārthī kharīkṣīraṃ mathed gandharvasattama | viṣṭhāṃ tatrānupaśyet na maṇḍaṃ na ca vai ghṛtam, gandharvaśiromaṇe ||
யாஜ்ஞவல்க்யர் கூறினார்—ஓ கந்தர்வச் சிறந்தவனே! நெய் பெறவேண்டும் என்ற ஆசையால் கழுதைப் பாலை கடைந்தவன், அங்கே அழுக்கையே காண்பான்; அங்கே அவனுக்கு வெண்ணெயும் கிடையாது, நெய்யும் கிடையாது।
याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
A worthy goal cannot be reliably attained through unworthy or unsuitable means. Seeking refined results (like ghee) from an improper source (like a she-ass’s milk) yields only defilement—an ethical warning to choose proper methods, teachers, and foundations for one’s aims.
Yājñavalkya addresses an eminent Gandharva and uses a sharp household metaphor: churning an unfit milk in hopes of ghee leads not to butter or ghee but to filth. The statement functions as a moral illustration within the Shanti Parva’s instruction on conduct and discernment.