Shloka 13
Śānti-parva 168: Śoka-nivṛtti-buddhi (The Cognition that Reduces Grief) and Piṅgalā’s Nairāśya
विषयैरर्थवान् धर्ममाराधयितुमुत्तमम् । काम च चरितुं शक्तो दुष्प्रापमकृतात्मभि:,धनवान मनुष्य धनके द्वारा उत्तम धर्मका पालन और अजितेन्द्रिय पुरुषोंके लिये दुर्लभ कामनाओंकी प्राप्ति कर सकता है
viṣayair arthavān dharmam ārādhayitum uttamam | kāmaṃ ca carituṃ śakto duṣprāpam akṛtātmabhiḥ ||
Arjuna said: “A man of wealth, by means of material resources and the objects of enjoyment, is able to cultivate and uphold the highest dharma; and he is also capable of pursuing desires—desires that are hard to attain for those who lack self-mastery.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wealth and resources can support the practice of dharma and the fulfillment of legitimate aims, but without self-mastery (indriya-nigraha), desire remains difficult to satisfy and ethically dangerous; inner discipline is the decisive factor.
In the Shanti Parva’s reflective discourse on dharma and life-aims, Arjuna speaks about the practical role of wealth: it can enable righteous conduct and also facilitate the pursuit of desires—yet he highlights that for the undisciplined, such attainments are still hard and unstable.