Shloka 183

Adhyāya 262: Śabda-brahman, Para-brahman, and the Ethics of Tyāga

Kapila–Syūmaraśmi Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

उत्पन्नत्यागिन: सर्वे जना आसन्नमत्सरा: । प्राचीन कालके ब्राह्मण सत्यभाषण और इन्द्रिय-संयमरूप यज्ञका अनुष्ठान करते थे। वे परम पुरुषार्थ (मोक्ष)के प्रति लोभ रखते थे

Transliteration

utpanna-tyāginaḥ sarve janā āsann amatsarāḥ | prācīna-kālake brāhmaṇāḥ satya-bhāṣaṇaṃ ca indriya-saṃyama-rūpa-yajñasya anuṣṭhānaṃ kurvanti sma | te parama-puruṣārthaṃ (mokṣaṃ) prati lobhaṃ dadhati sma; teṣāṃ laukika-dhana-tṛṣṇā na āsīt; tatra te sadā tṛptā āsan | te sarve prāpta-vastu-tyāginaḥ īrṣyā-dveṣa-rahitāś ca āsan |

Translation

丘罗陀罗说：在古昔之时，众人皆无嫉妒，亦不怀恶意而生。彼时婆罗门所行之祭，是以言语真实与诸根调伏为祭。他们的渴望指向人之至上目的——解脱（mokṣa），对世间财物并无饥渴，常怀知足。众人皆能舍弃所得，远离妒恨与憎恶。

Word by Word

• {'utpanna-tyāgin': 'one who gives up even what has arisen/been obtained

• a renouncer of acquisitions', 'sarve janāḥ': 'all people', 'amatsara': 'free from envy/competitive spite', 'prācīna-kālaka': 'belonging to ancient times', 'brāhmaṇa': 'a member of the priestly/intellectual class

• here, exemplars of dharmic conduct', 'satya-bhāṣaṇa': 'truthful speech', 'indriya-saṃyama': 'restraint/control of the senses', 'yajña': 'sacrifice

• here, an inner ethical discipline rather than a mere ritual', 'anuṣṭhāna': 'performance, observance, sustained practice', 'parama-puruṣārtha': 'the highest human end (mokṣa)', 'mokṣa': 'liberation from saṃsāra', 'lobha (mokṣe)': 'intense desire/aspiration (here redirected toward liberation)', 'laukika-dhana': 'worldly wealth', 'tṛṣṇā': 'craving, thirst', 'tṛpta': 'content, satisfied', 'prāpta-vastu': 'obtained possessions/things acquired', 'īrṣyā': 'jealousy', 'dveṣa': 'hatred, aversion', 'rahita': 'devoid of, free from'}

Speaker

चुलाधार उवाच

Characters & Entities

• चुलाधार (Chulādhāra)
• ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇas)
• मोक्ष (mokṣa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True sacrifice is ethical and inward: truthfulness and sense-restraint. One should aspire for moksha, remain content without craving for wealth, and abandon envy, hatred, and attachment even to legitimately obtained possessions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Chulādhāra describes an idealized ancient age, praising the conduct of earlier brāhmaṇas and people: they practiced inner yajña through truthful speech and self-control, sought liberation rather than riches, and lived without jealousy or malice.