Shloka 22

कालनियमः शोकशमनं च

Kāla as Regulator; Pacification of Grief

Devanagari script

दुष्यन्त्याददतो भृत्या नित्यं दस्युभयादिव । दुर्लभं च धन प्राप्य भृशं दत्त्वानुतप्यते

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | duṣyanty ādadato bhṛtyā nityaṃ dasyubhayād iva | durlabhaṃ ca dhanaṃ prāpya bhṛśaṃ dattvānutapyate ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Même en recevant leur salaire, les serviteurs demeurent insatisfaits et, comme s’ils vivaient dans une crainte constante des voleurs, ils ne cessent de prendre et de reprendre. Et lorsqu’un maître a acquis une richesse difficile à obtenir, s’il donne avec profusion, il s’en repent ensuite : son tourment devient aussi grand que la peur qu’inspirent les brigands.

Word by Word

• {'vaiśampāyana uvāca': 'Vaiśampāyana said', 'duṣyanti': 'they become dissatisfied

• they are not content', 'ādadato': 'taking

• receiving (and still grasping)', 'bhṛtyāḥ': 'servants

• retainers', 'nityam': 'always

• continually', 'dasyu-bhayāt': 'from fear of thieves/robbers', 'iva': 'as if

• like', 'durlabham': 'hard to obtain

• rare', 'dhanam': 'wealth

• money', 'prāpya': 'having obtained', 'bhṛśam': 'excessively

• lavishly', 'dattvā': 'having given', 'anutapyate': 'he repents

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• bhṛtyāḥ (servants)
• dasyu (thieves/robbers)
• dhana (wealth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a moral tension in household and royal life: dependents may remain dissatisfied even when paid, while the giver may suffer anxiety and regret when distributing hard-earned wealth. It points to the need for discernment in giving, prudent stewardship, and cultivating contentment on both sides.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues an ethical reflection in Śānti Parva, using the example of servants and a wealthy master to illustrate how fear, greed, and dissatisfaction can persist despite material provision, and how excessive giving of scarce wealth can lead to later remorse.