Shloka 78
Rudra-Śiva: Names, Two Natures, and the Logic of Epithets (रुद्रनाम-बहुरूपत्व-प्रकरणम्)
अपना कल्याण चाहनेवाले पुरुषको सदा अपनी शक्तिके अनुसार दान करना चाहिये। सदा यज्ञ करना चाहिये और सदा ही पुष्टिजनक कर्म करते रहना चाहिये ।।
dharmeṇārthaḥ samāhāryo dharmalabdhaṃ tridhā dhanam | kartavyaṃ dharmaparamaṃ mānavena prayatnataḥ ||
Mahādeva teaches that a person seeking true welfare should acquire wealth only through dharma. Wealth gained righteously should then be divided into three portions, and with sustained effort one should continually undertake actions in which dharma is foremost—such as giving according to one’s capacity, performing sacrifice, and engaging in deeds that nourish and strengthen life.
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Earn wealth only by righteous means (dharma), then structure its use responsibly—dividing dharma-earned wealth into three parts—and prioritize dharma in all actions, including giving according to capacity and sustaining sacrificial/beneficial duties.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused setting, Śrī Maheśvara speaks as a moral teacher, laying down a rule for household and social ethics: righteous acquisition of wealth and its disciplined, dharma-first deployment through ongoing duties like dāna and yajña.