Shloka 30

Devanagari script

द्रव्यार्थस्पर्शसंयोगे या प्रीतिरुपजायते । स कामश्रित्तसंकल्प: शरीरं नास्य दृश्यते,स्त्री, माला, चन्दन आदि द्रव्योंके स्पर्श और सुवर्ण आदि धनके लाभसे जो प्रसन्नता होती है, उसके लिये जो चित्तमें संकल्प उठता है, उसीका नाम काम है। उस कामका शरीर नहीं देखा जाता (इसीलिये वह “अनंग” कहलाता है)

Transliteration

dravyārthasparśasaṃyoge yā prītir upajāyate | sa kāmāśrita-saṅkalpaḥ śarīraṃ nāsya dṛśyate ||

Translation

Waiśampāyana berkata: “Ketika sentuhan dan pergaulan dengan benda-benda yang diingini serta kenikmatan melahirkan kegembiraan, maka tekad batin yang condong kepada kenikmatan itu disebut kāma (hasrat). Hasrat itu tidak memiliki tubuh yang tampak; ia tidak terlihat sebagai wujud jasmani.”

Word by Word

द्रव्यin/with a substance (object)

अर्थin/with wealth, gain

स्पर्शin/with touch

संयोगेin/at contact, conjunction

याwhich

प्रीतिःdelight, pleasure

उपजायतेarises, is produced

सःthat, he/it

कामdesire (Kāma)

आश्रितdependent on, resting on

संकल्पःintention, mental resolve

शरीरम्body, form

नnot

अस्यof it/of him

दृश्यतेis seen, appears

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

kāma (desire)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Desire (kāma) is identified not as a physical entity but as a mental intention arising from pleasurable contact with objects and the prospect of gain; therefore it must be understood and governed at the level of thought and resolve.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana offers a reflective definition of kāma, explaining how pleasure from sensory contact and acquisition triggers an inner resolve, and emphasizing that this force is subtle and unseen rather than bodily.