Shloka 31
धन-राजधर्म संवादः
Discourse on Wealth and Royal Duty
एवमेव हि राजानो जयन्ति पृथिवीमिमाम् | जित्वा ममेयं ब्रुवते पुत्रा इव पितुर्धनम्
evam eva hi rājāno jayanti pṛthivīm imām | jitvā mameyaṃ bruvate putrā iva pitur dhanam ||
Arjuna said: “Just so do kings conquer this earth. Having conquered it, they declare, ‘This is mine’—in the same way that sons lay claim to a father’s wealth.”
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse critiques the moral psychology of conquest and ownership: political victory often turns into possessive pride (“mine”), yet such claims resemble inherited entitlement—temporary and contingent rather than absolute. It implicitly questions the ethical basis of dominion and urges reflection on rightful possession and dharma.
Arjuna is speaking and drawing an analogy: kings conquer territories and then assert ownership over the earth, just as sons speak of a father’s property as their own. The statement functions as a pointed observation about how power converts into claims of possession.