Shloka 46
तीर्थवंशोपदेशः
Tīrtha-vaṃśa Upadeśa: Instruction on the Fruits of Sacred Waters
अर्थनान्येन यो लिप्सेत् कर्मार्थ चैव भारत । आमन्त्रयति राजेन्द्र तस्याधर्मोडनृतं स्मृतम्
arthān anyena yo lipsed karmārthaṁ caiva bhārata | āmantrayati rājendra tasyādharmo 'nṛtaṁ smṛtam, bharatanandana ||
Dijo Bhīṣma: «Oh descendiente de Bharata, oh rey, quien codicia riquezas con el pretexto de otro propósito, o atrae al donante diciendo: “Dame dinero para realizar tal rito”, es recordado por ello como adharma y como falsedad; su falta es como la de jurar en falso sobre una vaca.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Seeking money by disguising one’s real motive—whether by inventing another purpose (like pilgrimage) or by claiming it is needed for a ritual—counts as adharma and as anṛta (falsehood). The verse condemns pious pretexts used to manipulate donors.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma advises King Yudhiṣṭhira about ethical conduct connected with giving and receiving. Here he warns against deceptive solicitation that turns religious language into a tool for personal livelihood.