Shloka 5
Adhyāya 122 — Śruta-vṛtta-yukta Brāhmaṇa and the Ethics of Dāna
Maitreya–Vyāsa Saṃvāda
वाग्बुद्धिपाणिपादैश्व व्यपेतस्य विपश्चित: । कि हास्यति मनुष्यस्य मन्दस्यापि हि जीवत:
vāgbuddhipāṇipādaiś ca vyapetasya vipaścitaḥ | kiṃ hāsyati manuṣyasya mandasyāpi hi jīvataḥ ||
毗耶娑说道：“纵使一人有智慧，若失去言语、理解，以及手足之用，他在生之时又能成就什么？即便愚钝之人，只要这些机能尚全，至少还能行动，完成生命所要求之事。”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wisdom alone is not sufficient for effective living; human agency depends on functional faculties—speech, discernment, and bodily capacity. The verse stresses the ethical importance of practical capability: without the means to act, even a wise person cannot fulfill duties, whereas even limited intellect can still manage life when the instruments of action remain.
Vyāsa is making a reflective point within Anuśāsana-parvan’s instruction-oriented discourse: he contrasts a wise person rendered powerless by loss of key faculties with an ordinary or dull person who can still function. The statement supports a broader didactic argument about the conditions required to practice dharma and carry out responsibilities.