Shloka 5
कालयुक्तधर्मविवेकः
Discerning Dharma in Accord with Time
श्रीमहेश्वरने कहा--धर्म और अर्थके तत्त्वको जाननेवाली, सदा धर्ममें तत्पर रहनेवाली, इन्द्रियसंयम-परायणे देवि! तुम्हारा प्रश्न समस्त प्राणियोंके लिये हितकर तथा बुद्धिको बढ़ानेवाला है, इसका उत्तर सुनो ।।
śrī-maheśvara uvāca—dharma-artha-tattva-jñāne, sadā dharme tatparā, indriya-saṃyama-parāyaṇe devi! tava praśnaḥ sarva-prāṇi-hita-karaḥ buddhi-vardhanaś ca; tasya uttaraṃ śṛṇu. satya-dharma-ratāḥ santaḥ sarva-liṅga-bhāva-vivarjitāḥ; dharma-labdha-artha-bhoktāras te narāḥ svarga-gāminaḥ.
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच—धर्मार्थतत्त्वज्ञे नित्यं धर्मपरायणे । इन्द्रियसंयमपरायणे देवि! तव प्रश्नः सर्वप्राणिहितः बुद्धिवर्धनश्च; तस्योत्तरं शृणु । सत्यधर्मरताः सन्तः सर्वलिङ्गभविवर्जिताः । धर्मलब्धार्थभोक्तारस्ते नराः स्वर्गगामिनः ॥
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
True merit lies in truthfulness, devotion to dharma, and self-restraint; even without outward religious or social badges, those who enjoy wealth earned through righteous means are said to attain heaven.
Śrī Maheśvara responds to the Goddess’s inquiry, praising it as universally beneficial, and then states the criterion for heavenly attainment: inner commitment to satya and dharma, coupled with righteous livelihood, rather than reliance on external identifiers.