Shloka 13
Āśrama-dharma and Brahmacarya: Śuka’s Inquiry on Karma and Tyāga (शुक-प्रश्नः कर्मत्यागविवेकश्च)
गृहमावसतो हास्य नान्यत् तीर्थ प्रतिग्रहात् । देवर्षिपितृगुर्वर्थ वृद्धातुरबुभुक्षताम्
gṛham āvasato hāsya nānyat tīrthaṃ pratigrahāt | devarṣi-pitṛ-gurv-arthaṃ vṛddhāturabubhukṣatām ||
ວະຍາສະກ່າວວ່າ: «ສໍາລັບພຣາຫມະນ໌ຜູ້ດໍາລົງຊີວິດແບບຄົວເຮືອນ ບໍ່ມີວິທີອັນສັກສິດໃດໃນການຮັກສາຊັບສິນ ນອກຈາກການຮັບທານ. ການຮັບນັ້ນຄວນເຮັດເພື່ອບໍລິການແກ່ເທວະ, ຣິສີ, ບັນພະບຸລຸດ, ແລະຄູອາຈານ—ພ້ອມທັງເພື່ອອຸປະຖໍາຜູ້ເຖົ້າ, ຜູ້ເຈັບໄຂ້, ແລະຜູ້ຫິວໂຫຍ. ນອກຈາກການຮັບທານເພື່ອໜ້າທີ່ເຫຼົ່ານີ້ ບໍ່ມີເສັ້ນທາງອັນບໍລິສຸດອື່ນໃຫ້ພຣາຫມະນ໌ສະສົມຊັບພະຍາກອນ».
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
A householder Brahmin may accept gifts (pratigraha) as a legitimate and ‘pure’ means of support, but the ethical purpose is service: sustaining worship and obligations to gods, sages, ancestors, and teachers, and providing food and care to the elderly, sick, and hungry.
In the Shanti Parva’s dharma instruction, Vyāsa states a rule of conduct about livelihood: for a Brahmin living as a householder, accepting donations is presented as the sanctioned route for maintaining resources, specifically oriented toward religious duties and compassionate support of vulnerable people.