tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ Å›rutayo vibhinnÄ
nÄsÄv ṛṣir yasya mataá¹ na bhinnam
dharmasya tattvaá¹ nihitaá¹ guhÄyÄá¹
mahÄjano yena gataḥ sa panthÄḥ

 tarkaḥ - dry argument; apratiṣṭhaḥ - not fixed; Å›rutayaḥ - the Vedas; vibhinnÄḥ - possessing different departments; na - not; asau - that; á¹›á¹£iḥ - great sage; yasya - whose; matam - opinion; na - not; bhinnam - separate; dharmasya - of religious principles; tattvam - truth; nihitam - placed; guhÄyÄm - in the heart of a realized person; mahÄ-janaḥ - self-realized predecessors; yena - by which way; gataḥ - acted; saḥ - that; panthÄḥ - the pure, unadulterated path.


Text

“ ‘Dry arguments are inconclusive. A great personality whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. The solid truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated, self-realized person. Consequently, as the Å›Ästras confirm, one should accept whatever progressive path the mahÄjanas advocate.’

Purport

This is a verse spoken by Yudhiṣṭhira MahÄrÄja in the MahÄbhÄrata, Vana-parva 313.117.