Shloka 66
देवतापितृप्रश्नः — Nārada at Badarīāśrama: the ultimate referent of daiva and pitṛ worship
यदेकपातिनां सतां भवत्यमुत्र गच्छताम् | भयेषु साम्परायिकं निधत्स्व केवल निधिम्,भय उपस्थित होनेपर अकेले यात्रा करनेवाले सत्पुरुषोंके लिये परलोकमें जो हितकर होता है, उस धर्म या ज्ञानकी निधिको शुद्धभावसे संचित करो
yad ekapātināṁ satāṁ bhavaty amutra gacchatām | bhayeṣu sāmparāyikaṁ nidhatsva kevala-nidhim ||
Vyāsa dit : «Amasse d’une intention pure cet unique trésor—le dharma et la connaissance véritable—qui, dans l’au-delà, devient le vrai bien des vertueux contraints de voyager seuls, surtout lorsque surgissent les peurs du dernier passage.»
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should consciously accumulate the ‘only true wealth’—dharma grounded in right understanding—because at death a person goes alone, and only inner merit and wisdom can protect and benefit one in the hereafter.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Vyāsa delivers a concise admonition: prepare for the inevitable solitary journey beyond life by storing up spiritual capital (dharma/jñāna), especially as the fears and uncertainties of the final transition approach.