Mahabharata — Shanti Parva, Shloka 26
Śānti-parva 168: Śoka-nivṛtti-buddhi (The Cognition that Reduces Grief) and Piṅgalā’s Nairāśya
तस्माद् धर्मप्रधानेन साध्यो<र्थ: संयतात्मना । विश्वस्तेषु हि भूतेषु कल्पते सर्वमेव हि
tasmād dharmapradhānena sādhyo 'rthaḥ saṁyatātmanā | viśvastēṣu hi bhūtēṣu kalpatē sarvam eva hi ||
Por ello, quien se domina a sí mismo debe perseguir los fines materiales dando primacía al dharma: primero practicar la rectitud y sólo después buscar la riqueza. Pues todos los seres depositan su confianza en quien está consagrado al dharma; y cuando la confianza se establece entre todos, las empresas de una persona llegan a buen término por sí mismas.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Artha (wealth and practical success) should be pursued only under the primacy of dharma and with self-restraint; a dharma-centered person naturally gains the trust of all beings, and that trust makes one’s goals easier to accomplish.
Vaiśampāyana continues a didactic passage in Śānti Parva, emphasizing ethical governance of life: prioritizing dharma, restraining the mind, and explaining how social trust arises from righteousness and leads to success in worldly affairs.