Shloka 22

Devanagari script

दुष्यन्त्याददतो भृत्या नित्यं दस्युभयादिव । दुर्लभं च धन प्राप्य भृशं दत्त्वानुतप्यते,“अपना वेतन यथासमय पाते हुए भी जब भृत्योंको संतोष नहीं होता, तब वे स्वामीसे अप्रसन्न रहते हैं और वह धनी दुर्लभ धनको पाकर यदि सेवकोंको अधिक देता है तो उसे उतना ही अधिक संताप होता है, जितना चोर-डाकुओंसे भयके कारण हुआ करता है

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | duṣyanty ādadato bhṛtyā nityaṃ dasyubhayād iva | durlabhaṃ ca dhanaṃ prāpya bhṛśaṃ dattvānutapyate ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Even while receiving their wages, servants remain discontented and, as though out of constant fear of thieves, keep taking and taking. And when a master has obtained wealth that is hard to come by, if he gives lavishly, he later repents—his distress becoming as great as the fear one feels of robbers.

Word by Word

• {'vaiśampāyana uvāca': 'Vaiśampāyana said', 'duṣyanti': 'they become dissatisfied

• they are not content', 'ādadato': 'taking

• receiving (and still grasping)', 'bhṛtyāḥ': 'servants

• retainers', 'nityam': 'always

• continually', 'dasyu-bhayāt': 'from fear of thieves/robbers', 'iva': 'as if

• like', 'durlabham': 'hard to obtain

• rare', 'dhanam': 'wealth

• money', 'prāpya': 'having obtained', 'bhṛśam': 'excessively

• lavishly', 'dattvā': 'having given', 'anutapyate': 'he repents

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• bhṛtyāḥ (servants)
• dasyu (thieves/robbers)
• dhana (wealth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a moral tension in household and royal life: dependents may remain dissatisfied even when paid, while the giver may suffer anxiety and regret when distributing hard-earned wealth. It points to the need for discernment in giving, prudent stewardship, and cultivating contentment on both sides.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues an ethical reflection in Śānti Parva, using the example of servants and a wealthy master to illustrate how fear, greed, and dissatisfaction can persist despite material provision, and how excessive giving of scarce wealth can lead to later remorse.