Shloka 44

Devanagari script

सहन्ति च महद्‌ दु:खं घ्नन्ति चैवार्थकारणात्‌ । अर्था दु:खं परित्यक्तुं पालिताश्वैव शत्रव:,“इसलिये धन-प्राप्तिके सभी उपाय मनमें मोह बढ़ानेवाले हैं। कृपणता, घमण्ड, अभिमान, भय और उद्वेग इन्हें विद्वानोंने देहधारियोंके लिये धनजनित दुःख माना है। धनके उपार्जन, संरक्षण तथा व्ययमें मनुष्य महान्‌ दुःख सहन करते हैं और धनके ही कारण एक- दूसरेको मार डालते हैं। धनको त्यागनेमें भी महान्‌ दुःख होता है और यदि उसकी रक्षा की जाय तो वह शत्रुका-सा काम करता है:

Transliteration

sahanti ca mahad duḥkhaṃ ghnanti caivārthakāraṇāt | arthā duḥkhaṃ parityaktuṃ pālitāś caiva śatravaḥ ||

Translation

They endure great suffering, and for the sake of wealth they even kill. To abandon wealth is itself painful; and when it is guarded and maintained, it behaves like an enemy.

Word by Word

सहन्तिthey endure

चand

महत्great

दुःखम्sorrow, suffering

घ्नन्तिthey kill, they strike down

चand

एवindeed, just

अर्थकारणात्from/for the cause of wealth (for money's sake)

अर्थाःwealth, riches

दुःखम्sorrow, suffering

परित्यक्तुम्to abandon, to give up

पालिताःprotected, guarded

चand

एवindeed, just

शत्रवःenemies

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wealth (artha) is portrayed as a generator of suffering: people suffer to obtain it, fearfully struggle to protect it, may commit violence for it, and even renouncing it can be painful; therefore one should be vigilant about attachment to wealth and its ethical consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues a reflective passage describing the harms connected with wealth—how it drives hardship, conflict, and anxiety—framing wealth as something that can turn into an adversary when one becomes bound to guarding it.