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 ||
Ainsi, l’homme maître de lui-même doit poursuivre les fins matérielles en donnant la primauté au dharma : d’abord pratiquer la droiture, puis seulement rechercher la richesse. Car tous les êtres placent leur confiance en celui qui est voué au dharma ; et lorsque la confiance s’établit parmi tous, les entreprises d’un homme s’accomplissent d’elles-mêmes.
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.