Adhyāya 287 — Janaka’s Inquiry on Śreyas, Abhayadāna, and Asaṅga
Non-attachment
धर्ममर्थनिमित्तं च चरेयुर्यत्र मानवा: । न ताननुवसेज्जातु ते हि पापकृतो जना:,जहाँके मनुष्य धनके लिये धर्मका अनुष्ठान करते हों, वहाँ उनके पास कदापि न रहे; क्योंकि वे सब-के सब पापाचारी होते हैं
dharmam artha-nimittaṃ ca careyur yatra mānavāḥ | na tān anuvasej jātu te hi pāpa-kṛto janāḥ ||
那罗陀说道:凡人若只把法(dharma)当作求财之具,便切莫与之同住;因为此等之人皆为作恶者,其行止为私利所染,而非出于正义。
नारद उवाच
Dharma loses its moral force when performed merely for profit; one should avoid the company of those who instrumentalize righteousness for wealth, since such motivation tends toward sin and corruption.
Nārada offers a counsel about discernment in association: he identifies a social setting where people outwardly perform dharma but inwardly aim at wealth, and advises the listener not to live among such people.