Shloka 4
Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma
Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins
स निश्चयमथो कृत्वा पूजयामास देवता: । भकक््त्या न चैवाध्यगच्छद् धन॑ सम्पूज्य देवता:,यही निश्चय करके उसने भक्तिपूर्वक देवताओंकी पूजा-अर्चा आरम्भ की। परंतु देवताओंकी पूजा करके भी वह धन न पा सका
sa niścayam atho kṛtvā pūjayāmāsa devatāḥ | bhaktyā na caivādhyagacchad dhanaṃ sampūjya devatāḥ ||
Bhishma said: “Having thus formed a firm resolve, he began to worship the gods with devotion. Yet, even after honoring the deities, he did not obtain wealth.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Devotional worship alone does not guarantee material gain; outcomes depend on a broader web of causes (karma, right means, and circumstance). The verse cautions against treating devotion as a mere instrument for wealth.
A person, after making a determined decision, begins worshipping the deities with devotion, but despite proper worship he fails to obtain wealth—setting up a reflection on desire, effort, and the limits of ritual as a means to worldly ends.