Shloka 44
Umā–Maheśvara-saṃvāda: Varṇa-bhraṃśa, Ācāra (Vṛtta), and Karmic Ascent/Decline
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sarvapraṇihitaṁ praśnaṁ brahmakṣatre viśeṣataḥ | teṣāṁ madhye brahmavettṝṇāṁ śreṣṭho vasiṣṭho munir idaṁ sarvaprāṇihitaṁ praśnaṁ praṣṭum ārabdhavān | dravyahīnāḥ kathaṁ martyā daridrāḥ sādhuvartinaḥ | bhagavan, asmin loke sadācārā manuṣyāḥ prāyo daridrā dravyahīnāś ca; te kena karmaṇā kathaṁ vātra yajñaphalaṁ prāpnuyuḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: Sebuah pertanyaan yang membawa kebaikan bagi semua makhluk—terutama bagi kaum Brahmana dan Kshatriya—diajukan oleh resi Vasiṣṭha, yang terunggul di antara para pengenal Brahman. Ia bertanya: “Wahai Bhagavan, di dunia ini orang-orang saleh kerap hidup miskin dan tanpa harta; dengan tindakan apa, dan dengan cara bagaimana, mereka dapat memperoleh buah yajña di sini?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic problem: material poverty does not erase the desire for spiritual merit, so the tradition must explain how the virtuous who lack resources can still attain the fruit of yajña—implying that intention, conduct, and alternative forms of sacrifice (non-material or simplified) are ethically significant.
Bhīṣma recounts an earlier dialogue: the sage Vasiṣṭha, addressing Brahmā, raises a welfare-oriented question—especially relevant to Brahmins and Kshatriyas—about how poor but righteous people can obtain the results of sacrificial acts; Brahmā is about to answer.