Shloka 17
Adhyāya 287 — Janaka’s Inquiry on Śreyas, Abhayadāna, and Asaṅga
Non-attachment
निवृत्ति: कर्मण: पापात् सततं पुण्यशीलता । सद्धिश्व समुदाचार: श्रेय एतदसंशयम्
nivṛttiḥ karmaṇaḥ pāpāt satataṃ puṇyaśīlatā | saddhiśva samudācāraḥ śreya etad asaṃśayam ||
Nārada nói: “Quay lưng khỏi hành vi tội lỗi, luôn giữ tâm hướng về công đức, và sống theo chánh hạnh—đó thật là điều thiện tối thượng, không còn nghi ngờ.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines śreyas (true welfare) as a threefold discipline: refraining from sinful acts (nivṛtti from pāpa), cultivating steady virtue (satataṃ puṇyaśīlatā), and embodying proper conduct in daily life (samudācāra).
In Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Nārada speaks as a moral teacher, summarizing the practical marks of dharma: avoidance of wrongdoing and sustained ethical living as the sure path to the highest good.