Shloka 22

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 said: When the aims of life—dharma with artha, dharma with kāma, and kāma with artha—do not oppress one another, and a person harmonizes dharma, artha, and kāma together, that person attains the highest happiness.

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

Cross References

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.