Shloka 29
तृष्णाक्षय-उपदेशः
Instruction on the Cessation of Craving
मोघान्यगुप्तद्वारस्य सर्वाण्येव भवन्त्युत । कि तस्य तपसा कार्य कि यज्ञेन किमात्मना
moghāny aguptadvārasya sarvāṇy eva bhavanty uta | ki tasya tapasā kāryaṁ ki yajñena kim ātmanā ||
迦毗罗说：若其“诸门”不加守护，一切善行终归徒然。既无自制，苦行何益，祭祀何益，乃至内观沉思又有何用？其伦理要旨在于：制御诸根乃一切修行得其真实功效之根基。
कपिल उवाच
Educational Q&A
Spiritual practices like tapas (austerity), yajña (sacrifice), and even inner contemplation bear fruit only when the ‘doors’—commonly understood as the senses and avenues of conduct—are guarded through self-restraint. Without control, good deeds lose their efficacy.
In the Shanti Parva’s instructional dialogue, Kapila is presenting a moral-philosophical critique: he warns that external religious acts and even inward practices are undermined if a person does not discipline the senses and protect the mind from uncontrolled impulses.