Shloka 15
Śīla-prāpti and Śīla-lakṣaṇa (शीलप्राप्ति-शीललक्षणम्) | On the Acquisition and Marks of Character
कामन्दक उवाच यो धर्मार्थो परित्यज्य काममेवानुवर्तते । स धर्मार्थिपरित्यागात् प्रज्ञानाशमिहा्च्छति,कामन्दकने कहा--राजन्! जो धर्म और अर्थका परित्याग करके केवल कामका ही सेवन करता है, उन दोनोंके त्यागसे उसकी बुद्धि नष्ट हो जाती है
Kāmandaka uvāca: yo dharmārtho parityajya kāmam evānuvartate | sa dharmārthī-parityāgāt prajñānāśam ihārcchati ||
Kāmandaka said: “O king, whoever abandons dharma and artha and follows only desire—by casting aside those two aims, he comes in this very life to the ruin of discernment.”
कामन्दक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Desire (kāma) must be governed by dharma and supported by artha; if one pursues pleasure alone while abandoning righteousness and responsible welfare, one’s prajñā—clear judgment—collapses, leading to ethical and practical ruin in this life.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on governance and conduct, Kāmandaka addresses a king, warning him that a ruler (or any person) who prioritizes personal desire over dharma and artha loses discernment, undermining both moral authority and effective rule.