Shloka 32
Śānti-parva 168: Śoka-nivṛtti-buddhi (The Cognition that Reduces Grief) and Piṅgalā’s Nairāśya
वणिज: कर्षका गोपा: कारव: शिल्पिनस्तथा । देवकर्मकृतश्लैव युक्ता: कामेन कर्मसु,व्यापारी, किसान, ग्वाले, कारीगर और शिल्पी तथा देवसम्बन्धी कार्य करनेवाले लोग भी कामनासे ही अपने-अपने कर्मोमें लगे रहते हैं
vaṇijaḥ karṣakā gopāḥ kāravāḥ śilpinastathā | devakarmakṛtaś caiva yuktāḥ kāmena karmasu ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Marchands, cultivateurs, bouviers, artisans et ouvriers—et même ceux qui accomplissent des rites et des services liés aux dieux—tous s’attachent à leurs occupations sous l’impulsion du désir. Dans le monde, l’activité est le plus souvent mue par le manque et l’attente, et les hommes travaillent en quête des fruits qu’ils convoitent.»
भीमयेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that most worldly action—across professions from trade and farming to ritual service—is propelled by kāma (desire for outcomes). It frames desire as a common driver of karma, setting up ethical reflection on whether one should act for fruits or align action with dharma and restraint.
Within Śānti Parva’s instruction on conduct and the springs of human action, Bhīṣma explains to Yudhiṣṭhira that people in many walks of life engage in their duties because of desire. The statement functions as an observation about human motivation in society, supporting a broader discourse on ethics, self-control, and right action.