Shloka 19
अध्याय १५२: लोभः पापस्य मूलम् — Greed as the Root of Wrongdoing
वक्ष्यन्ति मामधर्मज्ञं त्यक्ष्यन्ति सुहदो जना: । ता वाच: सुहृद: श्रुत्वा संज्वरिष्यन्ति मे भूशम्
vakṣyanti mām adharmajñaṃ tyakṣyanti suhṛdo janāḥ | tā vācaḥ suhṛdaḥ śrutvā saṃjvariṣyanti me bhūśam ||
لوگ مجھے ایسا کہیں گے جو دھرم کو نہیں جانتا؛ میرے خیرخواہ دوست مجھے چھوڑ دیں گے۔ دھرم کی تعلیم دینے کی ایسی باتیں سن کر میرے دوست مجھ پر سخت غضب سے جل اٹھیں گے۔
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral-psychological obstacle to dharma: fear of social blame and the loss of allies. Even well-intentioned speech about righteousness can provoke resentment, so one must weigh truth, timing, and audience while remaining steady in ethical intent.
Śaunaka voices anxiety about public perception: he anticipates being labeled ignorant of dharma and worries that his friends will desert him. He further fears that, on hearing his words about giving dharma-instruction, those same friends will react with intense anger.