Shloka 17
कालयुक्तधर्मविवेकः
Discerning Dharma in Accord with Time
वृत्त्यर्थ धर्महेतोर्वा सेवितव्य: सदा नरै: ।। स्वर्गवासमभीप्सद्/िर्न सेव्यस्त्वत उत्तर:
vṛttyarthaṃ dharmahetor vā sevitavyaḥ sadā naraiḥ | svargavāsam abhīpsadbhir na sevyas tv ata uttaraḥ ||
Śrī Maheśvara disse: “Os homens devem sempre assumir o serviço, seja por sustento, seja por dharma. Mas aqueles que desejam morar no céu não devem empreender o serviço ‘mais alto’ (isto é, o moralmente inferior ou o que obstrui o progresso espiritual).”
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Service or employment may be pursued for livelihood or for dharma, but one must discriminate: those aiming at heavenly merit should avoid forms of service that compromise dharma or impede spiritual/ethical goals.
Maheśvara is giving a normative instruction about proper conduct—specifically, how and why one should undertake service—framing it in terms of dharma and the aspiration for Svarga.