Shloka 37
अध्याय १७८ — प्राणवायुगतिः तथा शारीराग्निव्यवस्था
Adhyāya 178 — The courses of prāṇa-vāyu and the regulation of the bodily fire
अर्थलोलुपता दुःखमिति बुद्ध चिरान्मया । यद् यदालम्बसे काम तत्तदेवानुरुध्यसे,“धनलोलुपता दुःखका कारण है, यह बात बहुत देरके बाद मेरी समझमें आयी है। काम! तू जिस-जिसका आश्रय लेता है, उसी-उसीके पीछे पड़ जाता है
arthalolupatā duḥkham iti buddhaṃ cirān mayā | yad yad ālambase kāma tat tad evānurudhyase ||
Bhīṣma said: “Only after a long time have I understood this: greed for wealth is suffering. O Desire (Kāma), whatever support you seize upon, you end up pursuing that very thing again and again.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Greed for wealth produces suffering, and desire is self-reinforcing: once it attaches to an object or support, it repeatedly drives the mind to chase that same object, tightening bondage rather than bringing contentment.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Bhīṣma speaks reflectively from hard-won experience, addressing Kāma as a force that latches onto supports and compels continual pursuit, warning about the misery rooted in wealth-greed.