Shloka 19
Jñāna-plava (The Raft of Knowledge): Svabhāva, Prajñā, and the Ascent to Ātmajñāna
आस्थितस्तमहं मार्गमसूयिष्यामि क॑ कथम् | निन्द्यमान: प्रशस्तो वा हृष्ये5हं केन हेतुना,मैंने भी उसी धर्ममार्गका अवलम्बन किया है; अत: अपनी निन्दा सुनकर क्यों किसीके प्रति द्वेष-दृष्टि करूँ? अथवा प्रशंसा सुनकर भी किसलिये हर्ष मानूँ?
āsthitas tam ahaṃ mārgaṃ asūyiṣyāmi kaḥ katham | nindyamānaḥ praśasto vā hṛṣye ’haṃ kena hetunā ||
เรายืนมั่นอยู่บนหนทางแห่งธรรมอันเดียวกันนั้นแล้ว; เพราะฉะนั้นเมื่อได้ยินคำติฉิน เหตุใดเราจึงต้องมองผู้ใดด้วยความพยาบาท? และแม้ได้ยินคำสรรเสริญ ก็ด้วยเหตุอันใดเราจึงควรยินดีลิงโลด?
जैगीषव्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
One who is established in dharma should not be shaken by social reactions. Blame should not provoke hostility, and praise should not inflate the ego; both are external and unstable, whereas dharma is an inner commitment.
Jaigiṣavya, speaking in the Śānti Parva’s ethical discourse, explains his stance of inner steadiness: since he follows the dharmic path, he refuses to respond to criticism with resentment or to compliments with self-congratulation.