Shloka 18

अध्याय १५२: लोभः पापस्य मूलम् — Greed as the Root of Wrongdoing

Devanagari script

सो<हं न केनचिच्चार्थी त्वां च धर्मादुपाह्दये । क्रोशतां सर्वभूतानां हाहा धिगिति जल्पताम्‌

Transliteration

so ’haṃ na kenacit cārthī tvāṃ ca dharmād upāhvaye | krośatāṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ hāhā dhig iti jalpatām ||

Translation

Śaunaka said: “I seek nothing from anyone for my own gain; and I invite you to come near solely for the sake of dharma. Even if all beings were to cry out against me—wailing ‘alas, alas!’ and hurling reproaches of ‘shame!’—I would disregard their clamor and still call you, because righteousness alone is my reason.”

Word by Word

• {'so ’ham': 'I indeed

• I myself', 'na ... arthī': 'not desirous/seeking (any) gain or object', 'kenacit': 'from anyone

• by anyone (instrumental/ablative sense in context)', 'tvām': 'you', 'dharmāt': 'from/for the sake of dharma

• on account of righteousness', 'upāhvaye (upāhvayāmi)': 'I call near

• I summon', 'krośatām': 'of those who cry out

• of those who shout (genitive plural present participle)', 'sarvabhūtānām': 'of all beings/creatures', 'hāhā': 'alas! an exclamation of lament', 'dhik': 'shame! fie! an exclamation of censure', 'iti': 'thus

• in these words', 'jalpatām': 'of those who prattle/speak (often with a disparaging nuance)

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śaunaka
• sarvabhūta (all beings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should act from dharma rather than self-interest or fear of public blame. The speaker emphasizes detachment from gain and from the crowd’s condemnation, grounding the invitation/action purely in righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śaunaka addresses someone directly, stating that he is not seeking any personal benefit. He calls the person to come near for the sake of dharma, declaring that even universal outcry and reproach would not deter him from this righteous purpose.