Shloka 4
Śīla-prāpti and Śīla-lakṣaṇa (शीलप्राप्ति-शीललक्षणम्) | On the Acquisition and Marks of Character
धर्ममूल: सदैवार्थ: कामो<र्थफलमुच्यते । संकल्पमूलास्ते सर्वे संकल्पो विषयात्मक:,इनमें धर्म सदा ही अर्थकी प्राप्तिका कारण है और काम अर्थका फल कहलाता है, परंतु इन तीनोंका मूल कारण है संकल्प और संकल्प है विषयरूप
bhīṣma uvāca | dharmamūlaḥ sadaivārthaḥ kāmo 'rthaphalam ucyate | saṅkalpamūlāḥ te sarve saṅkalpo viṣayātmakaḥ ||
Bhishma said: Dharma is ever the root that leads to artha (material well-being and rightful gain). Kāma (desire) is said to be the fruit that arises from artha. Yet all these—dharma, artha, and kāma—have their root in saṅkalpa (intention/resolve); and saṅkalpa is shaped by its objects of sense and thought. Thus, the ethical direction of life depends ultimately on how one forms and governs one’s intentions toward objects.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that while dharma leads to artha and artha yields kāma, the deeper common root of all three is saṅkalpa—one’s inner intention. Because intention is oriented toward objects (viṣaya), ethical life depends on disciplining what one chooses to aim at and how one resolves to pursue it.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira on principles of righteous living and governance. Here he analyzes the interrelation of dharma, artha, and kāma, shifting the focus from external outcomes to the internal driver—mental resolve and its object-directed nature.