Shloka 7
कुण्डधारोपाख्यानम्
Kuṇḍadhāra-Upākhyāna: Dharma’s Superiority over Wealth and Desire
समानां श्रद्धधानानां संयतानां सुचेतसाम् । कुर्वतां यज्ञ इत्येव न यज्ञो जातु नेष्यते
samānāṁ śraddadhānānāṁ saṁyatānāṁ sucetasām | kurvatāṁ yajña ity eva na yajño jātu neṣyate ||
Bhishma said: For those who remain even-minded in gain and loss, who act with faith, self-restraint, and a purified, attentive mind, and who perform sacrifice simply because it is their duty—such a sacrifice never comes to ruin.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A sacrifice succeeds when grounded in inner qualities—equanimity toward gain and loss, faith, self-restraint, and purity of mind—and when performed as duty rather than as a bargain for results.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira, emphasizing that the efficacy of yajña depends on the performer’s disciplined intention and mental steadiness, not merely on external ritual factors.