Shloka 96
Āṇīmāṇḍavya–Upākhyāna
The Account of Āṇīmāṇḍavya and the Birth of Vidura
अद्यप्रभृति मे दाश ब्रह्मचर्य भविष्यति । अपुत्रस्यापि मे लोका भविष्यन्त्यक्षया दिवि,निषादराज! आजसे मेरा आजीवन अखण्ड ब्रह्मचर्य व्रत चलता रहेगा। मेरे पुत्र न होनेपर भी स्वर्गमें मुझे अक्षय लोक प्राप्त होंगे
adyaprabhṛti me dāśa brahmacaryaṁ bhaviṣyati | aputrasyāpi me lokā bhaviṣyanty akṣayā divi, niṣādarāja! |
قال غاḍيَة: «من هذا اليوم، يا أيها الصيّاد، سأحيا براهماتشاريا—عِفّةً كاملة—طوال عمري. وإن لم يكن لي ابن، يا ملك النِّشادات، فستكون لي في السماء عوالم لا تفنى.»
गाड़ेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes that steadfast dharmic discipline—here, a lifelong vow of brahmacarya—can itself generate enduring spiritual merit. It also challenges the idea that only having a son guarantees posthumous welfare, asserting that personal virtue and vows can secure imperishable heavenly attainments even for one who remains sonless.
Gāḍeya addresses a fisherman and the Niṣāda king, declaring a decisive commitment: from that day onward he will maintain unbroken brahmacarya for life. He further states that despite not having a son, he will still attain imperishable heavenly realms, indicating a deliberate choice of ascetic virtue over household continuation.