Shloka 22
Dharma and Wealth — Chanakya Niti
जलबिन्दुनिपातेन क्रमशः पूर्यते घटः ।
स हेतुः सर्वविद्यानां धर्मस्य च धनस्य च ॥
jalabindunipātena kramaśaḥ pūryate ghaṭaḥ |
sa hetuḥ sarvavidyānāṃ dharmasya ca dhanasya ca ||
By the fall of water-drops a pot is filled little by little; this is the principle by which all learning, and likewise dharma and wealth, are accumulated.
FAQs
Within the nītiśāstra (didactic aphoristic) tradition associated with Cāṇakya/Kauṭilya, this verse reflects a common classical South Asian pedagogical and ethical theme: gradual accumulation through repeated small increments. Such formulations align with courtly and scholastic cultures where learning, merit (dharma), and material resources were framed as outcomes of sustained, disciplined practice over time.
The verse characterizes accumulation via a causal analogy: just as a vessel becomes full through successive drops, so too learning (vidyā), dharma, and wealth are presented as results of incremental additions rather than sudden acquisition. The phrasing treats this as a general explanatory principle (hetu) rather than a situational rule.
The metaphor hinges on concrete imagery—jala-bindu (water-drop) and ghaṭa (pot)—to express an abstract causal relationship (hetu). The adverb kramaśaḥ (“step by step”) foregrounds temporality and process, a stylistic feature typical of Sanskrit gnomic verse where everyday material culture (containers, water, filling) is used to encode broader claims about knowledge, ethical merit, and prosperity.