Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 62
अर्चेद् देवानदम्भेन सेवेतामायया गुरून् । निर्धि निदध्यात् पारत्र्यं यात्रार्थ दानशब्दितम्
arced devān adambhena sevetāmāyayā gurūn | nidhim nidadhyāt pāratr̥yaṁ yātrārthaṁ dānaśabditam ||
Bhishma said: “Let a man worship the gods without hypocrisy; let him serve his elders and teachers without deceit. And for the journey to the next world, let him lay up a ‘treasure’ called charity—meaning, let him give generously, seeking the welfare that follows after death.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
True dharma is practiced inwardly: worship should be free of show (adambha), service to teachers and elders should be free of manipulation (amāyā), and one should ‘save’ for the next world by giving charity generously—treating dāna as the real treasure that accompanies a person beyond death.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising on righteous conduct. Here he outlines a compact ethical program: sincere devotion, honest service to gurus/elders, and open-handed charity as preparation for the afterlife.