Shloka 10
अध्याय २९७ — श्रेयः, धृति, दान-नियमाः
Welfare, Steadfastness, and Norms of Giving
गृहस्थानां तु सर्वेषां विनाशमभिकाड्क्षताम् । निधनं शोभनं तात पुलिनेषु क्रियावताम्
gṛhasthānāṃ tu sarveṣāṃ vināśam abhikāṅkṣatām | nidhanaṃ śobhanaṃ tāta pulineṣu kriyāvatām ||
तात! संसारयात्रेचा अंत इच्छिणाऱ्या सर्व गृहस्थांसाठी तीच मृत्यु सर्वाधिक शोभन मानली जाते—जी गंगा इत्यादी पवित्र नद्यांच्या तीरावर विधिपूर्वक शुभकर्मांचे अनुष्ठान करीत असताना प्राप्त होते.
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
For a householder who has turned toward life’s conclusion, the text praises an end met in a ritually and ethically ordered way—on sacred river-banks, while performing prescribed duties—emphasizing dharma and mindful preparation rather than a chaotic or negligent death.
Parāśara addresses a listener (“tāta”), advising on what constitutes a ‘good’ or fitting death for householders: dying at a holy riverside while engaged in religious observances.