Shloka 71
Chapter 47: Krauñca-vyūha Deployment and Conch-Signals
Kaurava–Pāṇḍava Readiness
अर्थस्य पुरुषो दासो दासस्त्वर्थो न कस्यचित् | इति सत्यं महाराज बद्धो<स्म्यर्थेन कौरवै:,पुरुष अर्थका दास है, अर्थ किसीका दास नहीं है। महाराज! यह सच्ची बात है। मैं कौरवोंके द्वारा अर्थसे बँधा हुआ हूँ
arthasya puruṣo dāso dāsas tv artho na kasyacit | iti satyaṃ mahārāja baddho 'smy arthena kauravaiḥ ||
Kripa said: “A man becomes the servant of wealth; wealth, however, is servant to no one. This, O great king, is the truth. I am bound by wealth—held fast by the Kauravas through their patronage and obligations—so I cannot act as I might otherwise choose.”
कृप उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical danger of artha (wealth): people become controlled by money and the obligations it creates, while wealth itself is not loyal to anyone. It warns that material dependence can compromise freedom of choice and dharmic action.
Kṛpa addresses the king and explains why he remains aligned with the Kauravas: he feels constrained by financial ties and obligations to them. His statement frames a moral tension between personal judgment and the binding force of patronage/benefit.