Shloka 2
Adhyāya 164: Gautama as Guest; Kaśyapa’s Satkāra and the Fourfold Arthagati; Journey to Virūpākṣa
लोभो मात्सर्यमीर्ष्या च कुत्सासूया कृपा तथा | एतत् सर्व महाप्राज्ञ याथातथ्येन मे वद
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | lobho mātsaryam īrṣyā ca kutsāsūyā kṛpā tathā | etat sarva mahāprājña yāthātathyena me vada ||
Wika ni Yudhiṣṭhira: “O dakilang marunong, ipahayag mo sa akin nang tapat at tiyak: saang pinagmumulan nag-uugat ang mga kapintasaing ito—kasakiman, mapanirang inggit, paninibugho, paghamak, paghahanap ng mali, at pagkakuripot? Nais kong maunawaan ang tunay nilang pinagmulan upang makapagbantay ang tao sa paglakad sa dharma.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a moral-psychological inquiry: major ethical failings such as greed, envy, jealousy, contempt, and fault-finding have identifiable causes. By asking for their true origin, Yudhiṣṭhira signals that understanding causation is the first step toward restraint, purification of conduct, and living according to dharma.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking guidance after the war, questions the elder authority (Bhīṣma) about the roots of inner vices. The verse is part of a larger didactic dialogue where the king asks and the teacher explains ethical principles for personal discipline and righteous governance.