Cyavana’s Water-Vow and the Ethics of Cohabitation (स्नेह-सम्वास-धर्मः)
त्रैवार्षिकादू यदा भक्तादथिकं स्याद् द्विजस्य तु | यजेत तेन द्रव्येण न वृथा साधयेद् धनम्
traivārṣikād ū yadā bhaktād adhikaṃ syād dvijasya tu | yajeta tena dravyeṇa na vṛthā sādhayed dhanam ||
Wika ni Bhishma: “Kapag ang isang ‘dalawang-beses na isinilang’ (dvija) ay may yaman na higit sa kailangan para sa tatlong taong pamumuhay, nararapat niyang gamitin ang labis na iyon sa paghahandog na yajña at sa banal na pagbibigay, at huwag mag-ipon ng yaman nang walang saysay.”
भीष्म उवाच
Do not hoard wealth beyond reasonable security; if one has surplus beyond three years’ maintenance, it should be redirected into yajña and dharmic distribution, turning private excess into public and spiritual good.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma (especially norms of conduct and right use of wealth), he sets a practical limit for accumulation and prescribes sacrifice/charitable religious use for surplus, framing wealth as a trust to be used purposefully.