Shloka 10
Dharma-Pramāṇa-Vicāra: The Elusiveness of Dharma and the Limits of Rule-Lists
प्रीणितश्चापि भवति महतोडर्थानवाप्य हि । करोति पुण्यं तत्रापि जीवन्निव च पश्यति
prīṇitaś cāpi bhavati mahato 'rthān avāpya hi | karoti puṇyaṃ tatrāpi jīvann iva ca paśyati |
Vyāsa dit : Ayant obtenu une grande richesse, il se réjouit. Même là, il accomplit des actes méritoires ; et, en vérité, dans cet état aussi, il perçoit les choses comme s’il était éveillé — voyant tout, jusque dans le rêve.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Prosperity (artha) can bring joy, but the ethical emphasis is that one should still engage in puṇya—virtuous, merit-producing action. The verse also highlights the vividness of inner experience: even in dream-like states one may perceive as clearly as in waking life, suggesting that moral agency and perception are not confined to external wakefulness alone.
Vyāsa describes a person who, after attaining great wealth, feels satisfied and continues to perform righteous deeds. He adds a psychological observation: in that condition he ‘sees’ as if awake, even in dreams—indicating a state where experiences appear immediate and real.