Shloka 31
कालनियमः शोकशमनं च
Kāla as Regulator; Pacification of Grief
लब्धानामपि वित्तानां बोद्धव्यौ द्वावतिक्रमौ । अपात्रे प्रतिपत्तिश्व पाये चाप्रतिपादनम्
labdhānām api vittānāṃ boddhavyau dvāv atikramau | apātre pratipattiś ca pātre cāpratipādanam ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Walaupun kekayaan telah diperoleh, ada dua pelanggaran yang mesti disedari. Pertama, memberikan harta kepada penerima yang tidak layak; kedua, menahannya daripada orang yang layak.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wealth is not ethically neutral once acquired; dharma depends on its proper use. Two key failures are (1) giving to the unworthy (apātra-dāna), which misdirects resources and can empower adharma, and (2) not giving to the worthy (pātra-anudāna), which neglects rightful support and diminishes the merit and social good that proper giving sustains.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct after the war, Vaiśampāyana continues the didactic discourse by highlighting practical moral errors in handling wealth—framing charity and allocation as areas where one must exercise discernment about worthiness.