Shloka 6
Śīla-prāpti and Śīla-lakṣaṇa (शीलप्राप्ति-शीललक्षणम्) | On the Acquisition and Marks of Character
धर्माच्छरीरसंगुप्तिर्धर्मार्थ चार्थ उच्यते । कामो रतिफल श्षात्र सर्वे ते च रजस्वला:,धर्मसे शरीरकी रक्षा होती है, धर्मका उपार्जन करनेके लिये ही अर्थकी आवश्यकता बतायी जाती है तथा कामका फल है रति। वे सभी रजोगुणमय हैं
dharmāc charīrasaṁguptir dharmārthaṁ cārtha ucyate | kāmo ratiphalas tatra sarve te ca rajasvalāḥ ||
Bhishma said: “From dharma comes the safeguarding of the body; and wealth (artha) is declared necessary precisely for the acquisition and practice of dharma. Desire (kāma) bears pleasure (rati) as its fruit. Yet all these—dharma, artha, and kāma—operate within the sphere of rajas (passionate activity).”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma sustains and protects embodied life; artha is justified as an instrument to support dharma; kāma culminates in pleasure. Yet these aims, as ordinarily pursued in worldly life, are characterized by rajas—restless, goal-driven activity—implying the need for discernment and higher integration.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on the aims of life and their proper ordering, explaining how dharma, artha, and kāma relate causally and ethically, and noting their connection to the guṇa of rajas.