Shloka 37
अध्याय २९७ — श्रेयः, धृति, दान-नियमाः
Welfare, Steadfastness, and Norms of Giving
दान॑ त्याग: शोभना मूर्तिरिद्भ्यो भूतप्लाव्यं तपसा वै शरीरम् । सरस्वतीनैमिषपुष्करेषु ये चाप्यन्ये पुण्यदेशा: पृथिव्याम्,राजन! सरस्वती नदी, नैमिषारणप्यक्षेत्र, पुष्करक्षेत्र तथा और भी जो पृथ्वीके पावन तीर्थ हैं, उनमें जाकर दान देना, भोगोंका त्याग करना, शान्तभावसे रहना तथा तपस्या और तीर्थंके जलसे तन-मनको पवित्र करना चाहिये
dānaṁ tyāgaḥ śobhanā mūrtir idbhyo bhūtaplāvyaṁ tapasā vai śarīram | sarasvatī-naimiṣa-puṣkareṣu ye cāpy anye puṇyadeśāḥ pṛthivyām, rājan ||
Parāśara said: “Charity and renunciation are a beautiful embodiment of virtue. By austerity (tapas) and by purifying waters, the body is cleansed and uplifted. Therefore, O king, one should go to sacred places—Sarasvatī, Naimiṣa, Puṣkara, and other holy regions upon the earth—and there give gifts, abandon indulgences, dwell in calmness, and purify body and mind through tapas and the waters of pilgrimage.”
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that dharmic life is strengthened through dāna (charity) and tyāga (renunciation). Inner and outer purification is achieved by tapas (disciplined austerity) and by contact with sacred waters and holy places, cultivating calmness and restraint rather than indulgence.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, the sage Parāśara addresses a king and recommends practical religious-ethical disciplines: visiting renowned tīrthas such as Sarasvatī, Naimiṣāraṇya, and Puṣkara, giving gifts there, renouncing pleasures, maintaining a peaceful disposition, and purifying oneself through austerity and pilgrimage rites.