Shloka 12

Śānti-parva 168: Śoka-nivṛtti-buddhi (The Cognition that Reduces Grief) and Piṅgalā’s Nairāśya

Devanagari script

अर्थ इत्येव सर्वेषां कर्मणामव्यतिक्रम: । न हाते<र्थन वर्तेते धर्मकामाविति श्रुति:,अर्थ ही समस्त कर्मोकी मर्यादाके पालनमें सहायक है। अर्थके बिना धर्म और काम भी सिद्ध नहीं होते--ऐसा श्रुतिका कथन है

Transliteration

artha ityeva sarveṣāṃ karmaṇām avyatikramaḥ | na hy arthanā vartete dharma-kāmāv iti śrutiḥ |

Translation

Arjuna sprach: „Artha (materielle Mittel) ist der unentbehrliche Regulator, der verhindert, dass jedes Vorhaben vom rechten Weg abirrt. Denn die Śruti verkündet: Ohne artha können weder dharma (gerechte Pflicht) noch kāma (legitimer Genuss) recht bestehen.“

Word by Word

अर्थःwealth/means (artha)

इतिthus (quotative)

एवindeed/only

सर्वेषाम्of all

कर्मणाम्of actions/rites

अव्यतिक्रमःnon-transgression/non-violation

नnot

हिindeed/for

अर्थेनby/with wealth (means)

विनाwithout

वर्तेतेthey proceed/exist

धर्मकामौdharma and kāma

इतिthus

श्रुतिःscriptural statement (śruti)

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Śruti (Vedic revelation)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Artha—practical resources and material support—is presented as necessary for keeping actions within proper limits and for enabling both dharma (duty/virtue) and kāma (legitimate enjoyment). Ethical life is not portrayed as anti-material, but as requiring adequate means to be sustained.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s reflective discourse on governance and right conduct, Arjuna voices a principle about the interdependence of life-goals: he cites śruti to argue that without artha, neither dharma nor kāma can be effectively pursued.