Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 163
Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
धर्म एको मनुष्याणां सहाय: पारलौकिक: । इसलिये विद्वान् पुरुषको चाहिये कि न्यायसे प्राप्त हुए धनके द्वारा धर्मका अनुष्ठान करे। एकमात्र धर्म ही परलोकमें मनुष्योंका सहायक है
dharma eko manuṣyāṇāṃ sahāyaḥ pāralaukikaḥ | tasmād vidvān puruṣo nyāyena prāpta-dhanena dharmam anuṣṭhātum arhati | ekamātraḥ dharma eva paraloke manuṣyāṇāṃ sahāyaḥ |
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “For human beings, Dharma alone is the true companion in the world beyond. Therefore, a wise person should practice Dharma by means of wealth obtained through justice and rightful conduct. In the next world, it is Dharma alone that stands by a person as help.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is the only enduring support after death; therefore one should earn wealth through just means and use it to practice and uphold Dharma.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instructional setting, Yudhiṣṭhira voices a moral principle: worldly assets are secondary, while Dharma—supported by righteous earning and ethical action—is what accompanies a person beyond this life.