Shloka 22

Duryodhana-vadha-pratikriyā: Harṣa, Nindā, and Kṛṣṇa’s Nīti-vyākhyā (Śalya-parva 60)

Devanagari script

धर्मार्थो धर्मकामौ च कामार्थो चाप्पपीडयन्‌ । धर्मार्थकामान्‌ यो<भ्येति सो>त्यन्तं सुखमश्ुते

Transliteration

dharmārtho dharmakāmau ca kāmārtho cāpy apīḍayan | dharmārthakāmān yo 'bhyeti so 'tyantaṃ sukham aśnute ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Wenn die Lebensziele—Dharma mit Artha, Dharma mit Kāma und Kāma mit Artha—einander nicht bedrängen und ein Mensch Dharma, Artha und Kāma in Einklang bringt, dann erlangt er das höchste Glück.

Word by Word

धर्मार्थःdharma-and-artha (righteousness and wealth)

धर्मकामौdharma-and-kāma (righteousness and desire/pleasure)

चand

कामार्थःkāma-and-artha (pleasure and wealth)

चand

अपिalso/even

पीडयन्afflicting/oppressing

धर्मार्थकामान्dharma, artha, and kāma (the three aims)

यःwho

अभ्येतिapproaches/attains

सःhe

अत्यन्तम्utterly/entirely

सुखम्happiness

अश्नुतेenjoys/obtains

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that true well-being comes from integrating dharma (ethical duty), artha (material welfare), and kāma (legitimate desire) so that none undermines the others; harmony among these aims yields the highest happiness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya, narrating events and reflections from the war context to Dhritarashtra, states a general ethical principle: the balanced pursuit of dharma, artha, and kāma—without mutual conflict—leads to lasting happiness.