Dharma-Pramāṇa-Vicāra: The Elusiveness of Dharma and the Limits of Rule-Lists
प्रीणितश्चापि भवति महतोडर्थानवाप्य हि । करोति पुण्यं तत्रापि जीवन्निव च पश्यति,वहाँ भी महान् धन पाकर वह प्रसन्न होता है तथा पुण्यकर्मोंका अनुष्ठान करता है; इतना ही नहीं, जाग्रत् अवस्थाकी भाँति वह स्वप्नमें भी सब वस्तुओंको देखता है
prīṇitaś cāpi bhavati mahato 'rthān avāpya hi | karoti puṇyaṃ tatrāpi jīvann iva ca paśyati |
Vyāsa said: Having obtained great wealth, he becomes delighted. Even there he performs meritorious deeds; indeed, in that state too he perceives things as though awake—seeing everything even within a dream.
व्यास उवाच
Prosperity (artha) can bring joy, but the ethical emphasis is that one should still engage in puṇya—virtuous, merit-producing action. The verse also highlights the vividness of inner experience: even in dream-like states one may perceive as clearly as in waking life, suggesting that moral agency and perception are not confined to external wakefulness alone.
Vyāsa describes a person who, after attaining great wealth, feels satisfied and continues to perform righteous deeds. He adds a psychological observation: in that condition he ‘sees’ as if awake, even in dreams—indicating a state where experiences appear immediate and real.