Shloka 10
अध्याय २९७ — श्रेयः, धृति, दान-नियमाः
Welfare, Steadfastness, and Norms of Giving
गृहस्थानां तु सर्वेषां विनाशमभिकाड्क्षताम् । निधनं शोभनं तात पुलिनेषु क्रियावताम्
gṛhasthānāṃ tu sarveṣāṃ vināśam abhikāṅkṣatām | nidhanaṃ śobhanaṃ tāta pulineṣu kriyāvatām ||
तात! संसार-यात्रा के अंत की इच्छा रखने वाले समस्त गृहस्थों के लिए वही मृत्यु सबसे शोभन मानी गई है, जो गंगा आदि पवित्र नदियों के तट पर विधिपूर्वक शुभ कर्मों का अनुष्ठान करते हुए प्राप्त हो।
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
For a householder who has turned toward life’s conclusion, the text praises an end met in a ritually and ethically ordered way—on sacred river-banks, while performing prescribed duties—emphasizing dharma and mindful preparation rather than a chaotic or negligent death.
Parāśara addresses a listener (“tāta”), advising on what constitutes a ‘good’ or fitting death for householders: dying at a holy riverside while engaged in religious observances.