Shloka 41
देवतापितृप्रश्नः — Nārada at Badarīāśrama: the ultimate referent of daiva and pitṛ worship
पुरा जरा कलेवरं विजर्जरीकरोति ते | बलाड्ररूपहारिणी निधत्स्व केवलं निधिम्
purā jarā kalevaraṁ vijarjarīkaroti te | balād rūpahāriṇī nidhatsva kevalaṁ nidhim |
Vyāsa disse: “Com o tempo, a velhice certamente tornará teu corpo gasto e quebradiço. Ela rouba a força e a beleza. Portanto, antes que esse dia chegue, ajunta para ti o único tesouro verdadeiro: a riqueza do conhecimento.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Old age inevitably erodes the body, strength, and beauty; therefore one should invest early in lasting inner wealth—knowledge and wisdom—rather than relying on perishable physical advantages.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Vyāsa delivers a moral exhortation: anticipating the certainty of aging, the listener is urged to ‘deposit’ the only enduring treasure—knowledge—before bodily decline arrives.