Shloka 72
देवतापितृप्रश्नः — Nārada at Badarīāśrama: the ultimate referent of daiva and pitṛ worship
कि ते धनेन कि बन्धुभिस्ते कि ते पुत्रै: पुत्रक यो मरिष्यसि । आत्मानमन्विच्छ गुहां प्रविष्ट पितामहास्ते क्व गताश्ष सर्वे
ki te dhanena ki bandhubhis te ki te putraiḥ putraka yo mariṣyasi | ātmānam anviccha guhāṁ praviṣṭa pītāmahās te kva gatāś ca sarve ||
Vyāsa disse: “Meu filho, de que te serve a riqueza? De que te servem os parentes? De que te servem os filhos, querido, se um dia hás de morrer? Busca o Si mesmo que entrou na caverna do coração. Reflete: para onde foram todos os teus antepassados, os teus avôs?”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Since death is inevitable, external supports—wealth, relatives, even descendants—cannot ultimately secure one. Therefore one should turn inward to ātmānam anviccha: inquiry into the Self, cultivating detachment (vairāgya) and spiritual discernment.
Vyāsa addresses a younger person affectionately (“putraka”), urging a shift from worldly reliance to inner realization. He reinforces the point with a stark reminder: all ancestors have already departed, so one should not cling to transient possessions and relations.