Shloka 48
Phala of Vrata, Niyama, Svādhyāya, Dama, Satya, Brahmacarya, and Service (व्रत-नियम-स्वाध्याय-दम-सत्य-ब्रह्मचर्य-शुश्रूषा-फलप्रश्नः)
काले च शक््त्या मत्सरं वर्जयित्वा शुद्धात्मान: श्रद्धिन: पुण्यशीला: । दत्त्वा गा वै लोकममुं प्रपन्ना देदीप्यन्ते पुण्यशीलास्तु नाके,'कितने ही शुद्धचित्त, श्रद्धालु एवं पुण्यात्मा पुरुष ईर्ष्याका त्याग करके समयपर यथाशक्ति गोदान करके परलोकमें पहुँचकर अपने पुण्यमय शील-स्वभावके कारण स्वर्गलोकमें प्रकाशित होते हैं
kāle ca śaktyā matsaraṁ varjayitvā śuddhātmānaḥ śraddhinaḥ puṇyaśīlāḥ | dattvā gā vai lokam amuṁ prapannā dedīpyante puṇyaśīlāstu nāke ||
Naciketa said: “Those who, at the proper time and according to their means, abandon envy, remain pure in heart, steadfast in faith, and established in virtuous conduct—having given cows in charity, they attain the other world. There, in heaven, they shine forth, made radiant by the merit and character born of their righteous way of life.”
नाचिकेत उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that inner purity and freedom from envy, joined with faith and virtuous conduct, should express themselves through timely, capacity-based charity—especially go-dāna. Such dharmic living yields posthumous well-being, described as radiance in heaven.
Nāciketa is speaking in a didactic context, praising the ethical discipline of renouncing jealousy and performing charitable giving. He links a concrete act (gift of cows) with a moral disposition (puṇyaśīla, śraddhā, śuddhātman) and its karmic result (attainment of the next world and splendor in svarga).