Shloka 106
Dāna–Tapaḥ Praśaṃsā and Gṛhastha-Upadeśa
Maitreya
धर्मलोपभयं ते स्यात् तस्माद् धर्म चरोत्तमम् | धर्मज्ञ! मनुष्य जैसा पाप करता है
dharmalopabhayaṃ te syāt tasmād dharma carottamam | dharmajña! manuṣya yathā pāpaṃ karoti, tadanusāreṇaiva tasya phalaṃ bhoktavyaṃ bhavati | ataḥ bhūtapūrva kīṭa! adhunā tvaṃ mṛtyubhayena kathaṃcid api vyathito mā bhūḥ | hā, te dharmalopasya bhayam avaśyaṃ bhavitavyam, tasmād uttama-dharmam ācaran tiṣṭha ||
ヴィヤーサは言った。「汝の恐れは、ただダルマ（法）が失われることへの恐れであれ。ゆえに、最上のダルマを実践せよ。おお、ダルマを知る者よ、人は自ら犯した罪に応じて、その果報を受けねばならぬ。されば、かつて虫であった者よ、死を恐れていかなる形でも心を乱すな。むしろ、真に恐れるべきはダルマの衰微である—ゆえに、最も善く、最も高貴なる行いにより生き続けよ。」
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should not be ruled by fear of death; the proper fear is the fear of losing dharma. Since actions inevitably yield corresponding results, the wise response is to uphold the highest righteous conduct rather than panic about mortality.
Vyāsa addresses a listener described as having once been a ‘worm’ (kīṭa), reassuring him not to be distressed by death. He frames the situation through karmic causality—sins bring matching consequences—and urges steadfast adherence to dharma as the true safeguard.