Dharma-Pramāṇa-Vicāra: The Elusiveness of Dharma and the Limits of Rule-Lists
प्रीणितश्चापि भवति महतोडर्थानवाप्य हि । करोति पुण्यं तत्रापि जीवन्निव च पश्यति
prīṇitaś cāpi bhavati mahato 'rthān avāpya hi | karoti puṇyaṃ tatrāpi jīvann iva ca paśyati |
महान धन प्राप्त करून तो प्रसन्न होतो. तेथेही तो पुण्यकर्म करतो; आणि त्या अवस्थेतही जागृतासारखे सर्व काही पाहतो—स्वप्नातही सर्व वस्तूंचे दर्शन घेतो.
व्यास उवाच
Prosperity (artha) can bring joy, but the ethical emphasis is that one should still engage in puṇya—virtuous, merit-producing action. The verse also highlights the vividness of inner experience: even in dream-like states one may perceive as clearly as in waking life, suggesting that moral agency and perception are not confined to external wakefulness alone.
Vyāsa describes a person who, after attaining great wealth, feels satisfied and continues to perform righteous deeds. He adds a psychological observation: in that condition he ‘sees’ as if awake, even in dreams—indicating a state where experiences appear immediate and real.