Āśramadharma and the Marks of the Muni
Yayāti–Aṣṭaka Saṃvāda
देवानतर्पयद् यज्ञ: श्राद्धैस्तद्धत्ू पितृनपि । दीनाननुग्रहैरिष्टै: कामैश्न द्विजसत्तमान्,उन्होंने यज्ञोंद्वारा देवताओंको, श्राद्धोंसे पितरोंको, इच्छाके अनुसार अनुग्रह करके दीन-दुःखियोंको और मुहमाँगी भोग्य वस्तुएँ देकर श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणोंको तृप्त किया
vaiśampāyana uvāca | devān atarpayad yajñaḥ śrāddhaiś ca tathā pitṝn api | dīnān anugrahair iṣṭaiḥ kāmaiś ca dvijasattamān |
Vaiśampāyana said: By means of sacrifices he satisfied the gods; by śrāddha rites he satisfied the ancestors as well. Through acts of compassionate support he relieved the poor and distressed, and by granting desired enjoyments he contented the foremost of the twice-born.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Dharma is fulfilled through a balanced life of sacred obligation and social responsibility: worship of the gods through yajña, honoring ancestors through śrāddha, and sustaining the community through compassion to the needy and respectful giving to worthy brāhmaṇas.
The narrator describes a ruler/patron’s exemplary conduct: he performs sacrifices for the gods, conducts ancestral rites for the pitṛs, supports the poor through acts of kindness, and pleases eminent brāhmaṇas by granting them desired gifts and enjoyments.