Shloka 2.64.44
शब्दवेध्य-अनर्थः, ऋषिशापः, दशरथस्य प्राणत्यागः (The Sound-Target Tragedy, the Sage’s Curse, and Dasaratha’s Death)
या गति स्सर्वसाधूनां स्वाध्यायात्तपसाच या।या भूमिदस्याहिऽताग्नेरेकपत्नी व्रतस्य च।।।।गोसहस्रप्रदातृ़णां या या गुरुभृतामपि।देहन्यासकृतां या च तां गतिं गच्छ पुत्रक।।।।
yā gatiḥ sarvasādhūnāṃ svādhyāyāt tapasā ca yā |
yā bhūmidasya āhitāgneḥ ekapatnī-vratasya ca ||2.64.44||
gosahasra-pradātṝṇāṃ yā yā gurubhṛtām api |
deha-nyāsa-kṛtāṃ yā ca tāṃ gatiṃ gaccha putraka ||2.64.45||
Go, dear son, to that state won by all the virtuous—by Vedic study and by austerity; by those who give land in charity, who maintain the sacred fires, and who are faithful to one wife; by givers of a thousand cows, by those who serve and sustain their elders and teachers, and by those who voluntarily lay down the body.
'You, my son, shall attain that supreme state obtained by those who are virtuous, who study the Vedas and practise asceticism.You shall attain the state merited by those bestowers of land as charity, who kindle the sacred fires, who are monoganists, who offer a thousand cows in charity, who nurture the venerable and who willingly lay down their bodies.
Dharma is presented as a multi-path ideal: learning (svādhyāya), self-discipline (tapas), generosity (dāna), fidelity (vrata), reverence to teachers/elders (guru-bhṛti), and renunciation—all lead to elevated spiritual reward.
The grieving father blesses his son by enumerating dharmic practices and declaring that Śravaṇa will reach the same highest destiny as those who excel in them.
Reverence for dharmic life: the father’s blessing frames virtue as concrete practices—study, austerity, charity, fidelity, and service.