Shloka 38
Śānti-parva 168: Śoka-nivṛtti-buddhi (The Cognition that Reduces Grief) and Piṅgalā’s Nairāśya
सुचारुवेषाभिरलंकृताभि- मंदोत्कटाभि: प्रियदर्शनाभि: । रमस्व योषाभिरुपेत्य काम॑ कामो हि राजन् परमो भवेन्न:
sucāruveṣābhir alaṅkṛtābhir mandotkaṭābhiḥ priyadarśanābhiḥ | ramasva yoṣābhir upetya kāmaṃ kāmo hi rājan paramo bhaven naḥ ||
Por ello, ¡oh rey!, apóyate en el kāma y entrégate al gozo, acercándote y recreándote con mujeres de hermoso atavío, engalanadas con joyas, gratas a la vista y embriagadas por el ardor de la juventud. Pues en este mundo, ¡oh rey!, debemos tener al kāma por el bien supremo.
भीमयेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse voices a kāma-centered viewpoint: it urges the king to treat sensual enjoyment as the highest aim. In the broader ethical landscape of the Śānti Parva, such a stance is typically presented as a position to be weighed against (and often subordinated to) dharma and self-restraint.
Bhīma addresses a king and offers counsel that emphasizes pleasure: he recommends enjoying the company of attractive, ornamented young women and explicitly claims that kāma should be considered supreme for ‘us’.