Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 17
Sāma (Sāntva) and Dāna: The Brāhmaṇa’s Conciliatory Release from a Rākṣasa
तैहिं सद्धिः कृत: पन्थास्तेन यातो न मुहाते । ते हि स्वर्गस्य नेतारो यज्ञवाहा: सनातना:
taiḥ sādhiḥ kṛtaḥ panthās tena yāto na muhyate | te hi svargasya netāro yajñavāhāḥ sanātanāḥ ||
Maitreya nói: Con đường do những bậc hiền nhân chân thật ấy dựng lập—ai bước theo thì chẳng rơi vào mê lầm. Vì chính họ là những bậc dẫn dắt chúng sinh đến cõi trời, là những người muôn đời gánh vác và duy trì bổn phận tế tự.
मैत्रेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Following the dharmic path laid down by exemplary, truth-aligned elders prevents moral confusion (moha). Such persons are portrayed as enduring upholders of yajña—symbolizing the sustaining moral-religious order—and therefore as reliable guides toward higher welfare (svarga).
Maitreya is praising the authority of ‘satpuruṣas’ (noble persons) and the tradition they establish. He asserts that walking the route they have set—i.e., accepted dharma and sacrificial duty—keeps one from delusion because these elders function as guides who uphold the perennial sacrificial order and lead others toward heavenly attainment.