Shloka 21
Āśrama-dharma and Brahmacarya: Śuka’s Inquiry on Karma and Tyāga (शुक-प्रश्नः कर्मत्यागविवेकश्च)
दिव्यमष्टशलाकं तु सौवर्ण परमर्द्धिमत् । छत्र॑ देवावृधो दत्त्वा सराष्ट्रो5भ्यपतद् दिवम्
divyam aṣṭaśalākaṃ tu sauvarṇaṃ paramarddhimat | chatraṃ devāvṛdho dattvā sarāṣṭro 'bhyapatad divam ||
Vyāsa dit : Le roi Devāvṛdha, ayant offert un splendide parasol d’or, d’une valeur suprême et muni de huit baleines, atteignit le ciel avec son royaume (c’est-à-dire avec son domaine et son peuple). Le vers souligne la puissance éthique du dāna : un don royal offert avec droiture devient cause d’un destin posthume exalté, et son bienfait s’étend au-delà du donateur jusqu’à ceux qui sont sous sa protection.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Righteous giving (dāna), especially of valuable and symbolically significant gifts, generates great merit (puṇya) leading to heavenly attainment; the king’s dharmic conduct is portrayed as benefiting not only himself but also his realm/people.
Vyāsa narrates an exemplum: King Devāvṛdha donates a magnificent golden parasol with eight ribs, and as a result he ascends to heaven ‘with his kingdom,’ indicating the expansive, protective scope of a king’s merit when he practices dharma through generosity.