Dharma-Pramāṇa-Vicāra: The Elusiveness of Dharma and the Limits of Rule-Lists
प्रीणितश्चापि भवति महतोडर्थानवाप्य हि । करोति पुण्यं तत्रापि जीवन्निव च पश्यति
prīṇitaś cāpi bhavati mahato 'rthān avāpya hi | karoti puṇyaṃ tatrāpi jīvann iva ca paśyati |
মহৎ ধন লাভ করে সে আনন্দিত হয়। সেখানেও সে পুণ্যকর্ম করে; এবং সেই অবস্থাতেও জাগ্রত্-সম সবকিছু প্রত্যক্ষ করে—স্বপ্নের মধ্যেও সর্ববস্তু দেখে।
व्यास उवाच
Prosperity (artha) can bring joy, but the ethical emphasis is that one should still engage in puṇya—virtuous, merit-producing action. The verse also highlights the vividness of inner experience: even in dream-like states one may perceive as clearly as in waking life, suggesting that moral agency and perception are not confined to external wakefulness alone.
Vyāsa describes a person who, after attaining great wealth, feels satisfied and continues to perform righteous deeds. He adds a psychological observation: in that condition he ‘sees’ as if awake, even in dreams—indicating a state where experiences appear immediate and real.