Shloka 8

Devanagari script

धर्मो राजन्‌ गुण: श्रेष्ठो मध्यमो हार्थ उच्यते । कामो यवीयानिति च प्रवदन्ति मनीषिण:,राजन! धर्म ही श्रेष्ठ गुण है, अर्थको मध्यम बताया जाता है और काम सबकी अपेक्षा लघु है; ऐसा मनीषी पुरुष कहते हैं

Transliteration

dharmo rājan guṇaḥ śreṣṭho madhyamo hy artha ucyate | kāmo yavīyān iti ca pravadanti manīṣiṇaḥ ||

Translation

Vidura said: “O King, among the aims and qualities that guide life, Dharma is declared the highest. Artha (material prosperity and statecraft) is spoken of as the middle. Kāma (desire and pleasure) is the least. Such is the considered judgment of the wise.”

Word by Word

धर्मःdharma, righteousness

राजन्O king

गुणःquality, merit

श्रेष्ठःbest, supreme

मध्यमःmiddling, intermediate

अर्थःwealth, material good (artha)

उच्यतेis said, is called

कामःdesire, pleasure (kāma)

यवीयान्younger; lesser (comparative)

इतिthus, as (quotative)

चand

प्रवदन्तिthey declare, they say

मनीषिणःthe wise (men)

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

King (rājan)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse ranks human aims: Dharma is supreme, Artha is secondary, and Kāma is the least. Ethical duty and righteousness should govern the pursuit of wealth and pleasure, not the other way around.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vidura addresses a king and offers counsel in the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, presenting a normative principle for governance and personal conduct: the ruler (and all people) should prioritize Dharma above material gain and sensual desire.