Shloka 34

Devanagari script

त्रिवर्गयुक्त: प्राज्ञानामारम्भो भरतर्षभ । धर्मार्थावनुरुध्यन्ते त्रिवर्गासम्भवे नरा:,'भरतभूषण! दिद्वान्‌ एवं बुद्धिमान्‌ पुरुषोंका प्रत्येक कार्य धर्म, अर्थ और काम इन तीनोंकी सिद्धिके अनुकूल ही होता है। यदि तीनोंकी सिद्धि असम्भव हो तो बुद्धिमान्‌ मानव धर्म और अर्थका ही अनुसरण करते हैं

Transliteration

trivargayuktaḥ prājñānām ārambho bharatarṣabha | dharmārthāv anurudhyante trivargāsambhave narāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Oh, toro entre los Bharata, las empresas de los sabios se ajustan a los tres fines de la vida: dharma, artha y kāma. Pero cuando no es posible alcanzar plenamente los tres, los hombres discernientes se atienen a dharma y artha».

Word by Word

त्रिवर्गयुक्तःendowed with the three aims (dharma-artha-kāma)

प्राज्ञानाम्of the wise

आरम्भःundertaking; enterprise; action

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

धर्मार्थौdharma and artha

अनुरुध्यन्तेare followed; are adhered to

त्रिवर्गासम्भवेwhen the attainment of the three aims is impossible

नराःmen; people

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bharatarṣabha (address to a Bharata prince/king)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wise action should harmonize the three human aims (dharma, artha, kāma). If all three cannot be achieved together, one should prioritize dharma and artha over kāma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s counsel-filled context before the great war, Vaiśampāyana states a general principle of prudent conduct: the wise plan actions around the puruṣārthas, and in conflict situations they choose dharma and artha when the full ‘trivarga’ cannot be secured.