Shloka 18
Āśrama-dharma and Brahmacarya: Śuka’s Inquiry on Karma and Tyāga (शुक-प्रश्नः कर्मत्यागविवेकश्च)
आत्रेयश्रेन्द्रदमनो हार्हते विविधं धनम् । दत्त्वा लोकान् ययौ धीमाननन्तान् स महीपतिः,अत्रिवंशज बुद्धिमान् राजा इन्द्रदमनने एक योग्य ब्राह्मणको नाना प्रकारके धनका दान करके अक्षय लोक प्राप्त किये थे
ātreyaśrendramano hārhate vividhaṁ dhanam | dattvā lokān yayau dhīmān anantān sa mahīpatiḥ ||
Vyāsa disse: O sábio rei Indradamana, descendente de Atri, concedeu riqueza abundante e variada a um brāhmaṇa merecedor. Tendo dado conforme o mérito, esse soberano alcançou mundos infinitos e imperecíveis—mostrando que a generosidade justa, dirigida a um destinatário digno, é causa de recompensa espiritual duradoura.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Righteous giving (dāna), especially when offered to a truly deserving recipient, becomes a powerful form of dharma that yields enduring spiritual reward—symbolized here by attaining ‘endless worlds’.
Vyāsa cites King Indradamana of Atri’s lineage as an exemplar: he donates varied wealth to a worthy Brāhmaṇa and, through that meritorious act, attains imperishable heavenly realms.