Shloka 48
देवतापितृप्रश्नः — Nārada at Badarīāśrama: the ultimate referent of daiva and pitṛ worship
परत्र येन जीव्यते तदेव पुत्र दीयताम् | धनं यदक्षरं ध्रुवं समर्जयस्व तत् स्वयम्,बेटा! जिससे परलोकमें भी जीवन-निर्वाह हो सकता है तथा जो अविनाशी और अटल धन है, उसीका दान करो एवं उसीका स्वयं भी उपार्जन करते रहो
paratra yena jīvyate tadeva putra dīyatām | dhanaṁ yad akṣaraṁ dhruvaṁ samarjayāsva tat svayam |
Vyāsa said: “My son, give that alone by which one can truly sustain oneself in the world beyond. And as for wealth—seek for yourself that which is imperishable and steadfast, and keep acquiring it.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Give what supports one’s welfare beyond this life—acts and gifts aligned with dharma—and strive to earn the ‘imperishable, steadfast wealth’: enduring merit and spiritual virtue rather than perishable material gain.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Vyāsa addresses a ‘son’ (a disciple-like addressee) and counsels him on proper giving and proper acquisition: prioritize charity and effort directed toward lasting, otherworldly benefit.