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 ||
इसलिए संयमी पुरुष को धर्म को प्रधान मानकर ही अर्थ साधना चाहिए—पहले धर्माचरण, फिर धनार्जन। क्योंकि धर्मपरायण पर ही समस्त प्राणी विश्वास करते हैं; और जब सर्वत्र विश्वास हो जाता है, तब उसके कार्य अपने-आप सिद्ध हो जाते हैं।
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.