Shloka 19
धन-राजधर्म संवादः
Discourse on Wealth and Royal Duty
यस्यार्थास्तस्य मित्राणि यस्यार्थास्तस्य बान्धवा: । यस्यार्था: स पुमॉल्लोके यस्यार्था: स च पण्डित:
yasyārthās tasya mitrāṇi yasyārthās tasya bāndhavāḥ | yasyārthāḥ sa pumāṁl loke yasyārthāḥ sa ca paṇḍitaḥ ||
Arjuna said: ‘In this world, the one who has wealth has friends; the one who has wealth has relatives. The man who possesses wealth is treated as the “man of consequence,” and the one who possesses wealth is also regarded as “learned.”’
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse critiques how social recognition often follows wealth: friendships, kinship support, and even the reputation of being ‘important’ or ‘learned’ are frequently granted on the basis of material prosperity rather than genuine virtue or wisdom.
Arjuna voices an observation about society’s tendencies: people rally around the wealthy, and public esteem—friendship, family allegiance, and the label of ‘wise’—is commonly shaped by economic power.