Shloka 37
अध्याय २९७ — श्रेयः, धृति, दान-नियमाः
Welfare, Steadfastness, and Norms of Giving
दान॑ त्याग: शोभना मूर्तिरिद्भ्यो भूतप्लाव्यं तपसा वै शरीरम् । सरस्वतीनैमिषपुष्करेषु ये चाप्यन्ये पुण्यदेशा: पृथिव्याम्
dānaṁ tyāgaḥ śobhanā mūrtir idbhyo bhūtaplāvyaṁ tapasā vai śarīram | sarasvatī-naimiṣa-puṣkareṣu ye cāpy anye puṇyadeśāḥ pṛthivyām, rājan ||
パラーシャラは言った。「布施と離欲は、徳の麗しき具現である。苦行（tapas）と浄めの水とによって、身体は清められ、高められる。ゆえに王よ、サラスヴァティー、ナイミシャ、プシュカラ、そして地上の他の聖地へ赴き、そこで施しをなし、享楽を捨て、静けさのうちに住し、苦行と巡礼の水によって身心を浄めるべきである。」
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that dharmic life is strengthened through dāna (charity) and tyāga (renunciation). Inner and outer purification is achieved by tapas (disciplined austerity) and by contact with sacred waters and holy places, cultivating calmness and restraint rather than indulgence.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, the sage Parāśara addresses a king and recommends practical religious-ethical disciplines: visiting renowned tīrthas such as Sarasvatī, Naimiṣāraṇya, and Puṣkara, giving gifts there, renouncing pleasures, maintaining a peaceful disposition, and purifying oneself through austerity and pilgrimage rites.