Shloka 35

अध्याय २९७ — श्रेयः, धृति, दान-नियमाः

Welfare, Steadfastness, and Norms of Giving

Devanagari script

यस्तु प्रीतिपुरोगेन चक्षुषा तात पश्यति । दीपोपमानि भूतानि यावदर्थान्न पश्यति

Transliteration

yastu prītipurogena cakṣuṣā tāta paśyati | dīpopamāni bhūtāni yāvadarthān na paśyati ||

Translation

కానీ, ప్రియమైనవాడా, ప్రేమ ముందుండి నడిపించే దృష్టితో చూసేవాడు జీవులను దీపాల వలె—ప్రకాశించే, ఆకర్షణీయమైనవిగా—చూస్తాడు; అయితే వాటి యథార్థ ప్రయోజనాలను, నిజ స్వరూపాన్ని యథాతథంగా చూడలేడు.

Word by Word

यःwho

तुbut/indeed

प्रीति-पुरोगेनwith (a vision) preceded by affection

चक्षुषाwith the eye

तातO dear (father/son)

पश्यतिsees

दीप-उपमानिlike lamps

भूतानिbeings/creatures

यावत्as long as / until

अर्थान्realities/objects/purposes

नnot

पश्यतिsees

Speaker

पराशर उवाच

Characters & Entities

प

पराशर (Parāśara)

द

दीप (lamp)

भ

भूतानि (beings/creatures)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Affection-biased perception distorts judgment: when one looks through the lens of attachment, one is captivated by surface brilliance (like lamps) and fails to discern the true nature, purpose, and consequences connected with beings and situations.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic discourse of Śānti Parva, Parāśara instructs his listener (addressed as “tāta”) about the pitfalls of attachment and the need for clear discernment, using the simile of beings appearing like lamps to an affection-led gaze.