Shloka 44
Umā–Maheśvara-saṃvāda: Varṇa-bhraṃśa, Ācāra (Vṛtta), and Karmic Ascent/Decline
सर्वप्राणिद्िितं प्रश्न॑ ब्रह्मक्षत्रे विशेषत: | उनमेंसे ब्रह्मवेत्ताओंमें श्रेष्ठ वसिष्ठ मुनिने समस्त प्राणियोंके लिये हितकर तथा विशेषत: ब्राह्मण और क्षत्रियजातिके लिये लाभदायक प्रश्न उपस्थित किया-- || ४३ $ ।।
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 ||
ພີສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ວະສິດຖະ ມະຫາມຸນີ ຜູ້ເປັນເລີດໃນບັນດາຜູ້ຮູ້ພຣະພຣະຫມາ ໄດ້ຍົກຄໍາຖາມອັນເປັນປະໂຫຍດແກ່ສັດທັງປວງ ແລະໂດຍພິເສດເປັນປະໂຫຍດແກ່ພຣາຫມັນ ແລະກະສັດ. ທ່ານຖາມວ່າ: “ຂ້າແຕ່ພຣະອົງ! ໃນໂລກນີ້ ຄົນດີມັກຈະທຸກຍາກ ແລະຂາດທຣັບ. ດ້ວຍກຳໃດ ແລະດ້ວຍວິທີໃດ ພວກເຂົາຈຶ່ງຈະໄດ້ຮັບຜົນແຫ່ງຍັດ (ການບູຊາ) ໃນທີ່ນີ້?” ເມື່ອພຣະພຣະຫມາໄດ້ຟັງ ກໍໄດ້ຕອບກັບ.
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.