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Shloka 30

धन-राजधर्म संवादः

Discourse on Wealth and Royal Duty

कृत्स्नं तदेव तच्छेयो यदप्पाददते5न्यतः । न पश्यामोडनपकृतं धनं किंचित्‌ क्वचिद्‌ वयम्‌

kṛtsnaṃ tadeva tac chreyo yad apāpād dadata anyataḥ | na paśyāmo 'napakṛtaṃ dhanaṃ kiṃcit kvacid vayam ||

قال أرجونا: «إن الخير الأسمى كلَّه هو المال الذي يُعطى بلا إثم، ويُنال من غير موضعٍ من غير ظلم. غير أنّا لا نرى، في أي مكانٍ كان، مالًا لم يُجلب بإيذاء الآخرين. هذا ما قضت به الآلهة، وهذا هو المبدأ السرمدي الذي تُعلِّمه الفيدا: بالمال يدرس ذوو الميلادين (الدڤيجا) الفيدا والـشاسترا ويُدرِّسونها؛ وبالمال يُقيمون اليَجْنَة ويُقيمونها لغيرهم؛ والملوك، إذا غلبوا غيرهم في الحرب وأخذوا أموالهم، استعملوا ذلك المال بعينه لإجراء جميع الطقوس المباركة. ولكن في عالم الملوك لا نجد كنزًا لم يُكتسب بإلحاق الأذى بأحد.»

कृत्स्नम्entire, whole
कृत्स्नम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootकृत्स्न
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
तत्that
तत्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
एवindeed, only
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
तत्that
तत्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
श्रेयःthe better, welfare, good
श्रेयः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootश्रेयस्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
यत्which, that which
यत्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
अप्पाददतेgives water for washing the feet (as hospitality)
अप्पाददते:
TypeVerb
Rootअप्-पाद-दद्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
अन्यतःfrom another (source), otherwise
अन्यतः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअन्यतः
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
पश्यामःwe see
पश्यामः:
TypeVerb
Rootदृश्
FormPresent, First, Plural, Parasmaipada
अनपकृतम्not obtained by harming (others); without wrongdoing
अनपकृतम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootअन-अपकृत
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
धनम्wealth
धनम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootधन
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
किञ्चित्any, something
किञ्चित्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootकिम्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
क्वचित्anywhere, ever
क्वचित्:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootक्वचित्
वयम्we
वयम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormNominative, Plural

अर्जुन उवाच

A
Arjuna
D
devas (gods)
V
Vedas
D
dvija (twice-born)
Ś
śāstra
Y
yajña (sacrifice)
R
rājānaḥ (kings)
Y
yuddha (war)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights a moral tension between artha (wealth) and dharma: ideally, the best wealth is sinless and harmlessly obtained, yet in political life—especially for kings—wealth commonly arises from conquest and injury. It questions whether social and ritual goods funded by wealth can be fully separated from the means of acquisition.

Arjuna speaks reflectively about the sources of wealth in royal and social life. He notes that Vedic learning, sacrifice, and royal ‘auspicious acts’ depend on wealth, but observes that kings typically obtain wealth through warfare and taking others’ property, making ‘pure’ wealth hard to find.