Shloka 106
Dāna–Tapaḥ Praśaṃsā and Gṛhastha-Upadeśa
Maitreya
धर्मलोपभयं ते स्यात् तस्माद् धर्म चरोत्तमम् | धर्मज्ञ! मनुष्य जैसा पाप करता है
dharmalopabhayaṃ te syāt tasmād dharma carottamam | dharmajña! manuṣya yathā pāpaṃ karoti, tadanusāreṇaiva tasya phalaṃ bhoktavyaṃ bhavati | ataḥ bhūtapūrva kīṭa! adhunā tvaṃ mṛtyubhayena kathaṃcid api vyathito mā bhūḥ | hā, te dharmalopasya bhayam avaśyaṃ bhavitavyam, tasmād uttama-dharmam ācaran tiṣṭha ||
Vyāsa disse: “Que o teu temor seja apenas o temor da perda do dharma; por isso, pratica o dharma supremo. Ó conhecedor do dharma, o homem deve experimentar os frutos de acordo com o pecado que comete. Assim, ó tu que outrora foste um verme, não te aflijas de modo algum por medo da morte. Antes, deves temer, de fato, o declínio do dharma — portanto, continua a viver segundo a melhor e mais nobre conduta.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should not be ruled by fear of death; the proper fear is the fear of losing dharma. Since actions inevitably yield corresponding results, the wise response is to uphold the highest righteous conduct rather than panic about mortality.
Vyāsa addresses a listener described as having once been a ‘worm’ (kīṭa), reassuring him not to be distressed by death. He frames the situation through karmic causality—sins bring matching consequences—and urges steadfast adherence to dharma as the true safeguard.