Shloka 49
Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha
इत्युक्ता सा ततः प्राह धर्मार्थो नौ समौ द्विज
ityuktā sā tataḥ prāha dharmārtho nau samau dvija
Thus addressed, she then replied: “O brāhmaṇa, for us dharma and artha stand on equal footing.”
नकुल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a balanced ethical stance: dharma (moral duty) and artha (practical welfare) are treated as equally important guides for action, suggesting that righteousness and worldly responsibility must be weighed together rather than opposed.
In Nakula’s narrated episode, after someone speaks to a woman, she responds to a brāhmaṇa, stating her position that dharma and artha are equal for them—framing the moral-practical principle that will shape the ensuing discussion or decision.