अध्याय १२८: शिव–उमा संवादः — तिलोत्तमा, श्मशान-मेध्यता, तथा चातुर्वर्ण्य-धर्मः
Chapter 128: Śiva–Umā Dialogue—Tilottamā, the Ritual Valence of the Śmaśāna, and the Fourfold Duty-Code
दत्तानकुशलैरर्थान् मनीषी संजिजीविषु: । प्राप्प वर्तयसे नूनं तेनासि हरिण: कृश:
dattān akuśalair arthān manīṣī saṃjijīviṣuḥ | prāpya vartayase nūnaṃ tenāsi hariṇaḥ kṛśaḥ ||
Le brāhmane dit : «Bien que tu sois intelligent, tu te maintiens en vie en acceptant des richesses données par des hommes maladroits et sans discernement, et tu ne vis que de cela. C’est pourquoi tu es devenu sans éclat et maigre comme un cerf.»
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Even a wise person is ethically diminished when sustaining life through wealth received from unworthy or undiscerning sources; dependence on such gifts is portrayed as draining one’s vigor and radiance.
A brāhmaṇa rebukes the addressed person, pointing out the contradiction between their intelligence and their choice to live on wealth given by ‘akuśala’ people, concluding that this explains their weakened, lusterless condition.