Shloka 4
अध्याय २६ — युद्ध-निन्दा, काम-दोष, तथा धार्तराष्ट्र-नीति-विश्लेषण
War-aversion, Desire as a Policy Fault, and Analysis of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Governance
कामा मनुष्यं प्रसजन्त एते धर्मस्य ये विघ्नमूलं नरेन्द्र | पूर्व नरस्तान् मतिमान् प्रणिघ्न- ल््लोंके प्रशंसां लभतेडनवद्याम्,नरेन्द्र! जो धर्माचरणमें विघध्न डालनेकी मूल कारण हैं, वे कामनाएँ प्रत्येक मनुष्यको अपनी ओर खींचती हैं। अतः बुद्धिमान् मनुष्य पहले उन कामनाओंको नष्ट करता है, तदनन्तर जगतमें निर्मल प्रशंसाका भागी होता है
kāmā manuṣyaṃ prasajanta ete dharmasya ye vighnamūlaṃ narendra | pūrvaṃ naras tān matimān praṇighnan loke praśaṃsāṃ labhate ’navadyām ||
Sañjaya said: “O king, those desires which are the very root of obstacles to dharma seize and draw every person toward themselves. Therefore, a wise man first strikes down those desires; then he attains in the world a blameless, pure praise.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Desire (kāma) is identified as the root of impediments to dharma; the wise person subdues desire first, and thereby gains blameless reputation and moral standing in society.
In the Udyoga Parva context, Sañjaya addresses the king (Dhṛtarāṣṭra), offering ethical counsel: before political action and conflict, one must conquer inner impulses—especially desires that derail righteous conduct.