Shloka 62
Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 5 — Karmaphala-Nirdeśa and Phalāśruti (कर्मफलनिर्देशः फलश्रुतिश्च)
ऊर्ध्वबाहुर्विरौम्येष न च कश्चित् शूणोति मे । धर्मादर्थक्ष॒ कामश्ष॒ स किमर्थ न सेव्यते,“मैं दोनों हाथ ऊपर उठाकर पुकार-पुकारकर कह रहा हूँ, पर मेरी बात कोई नहीं सुनता। धर्मसे मोक्ष तो सिद्ध होता ही है; अर्थ और काम भी सिद्ध होते हैं, तो भी लोग उसका सेवन क्यों नहीं करते
ūrdhvabāhur viraūmyeṣa na ca kaścit śṛṇoti me | dharmād arthaś ca kāmaś ca sa kimarthaṁ na sevyate ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “With both arms raised aloft I cry out again and again, yet no one listens to me. From dharma arise not only liberation, but also prosperity and rightful pleasure—so why do people still refuse to practice it?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is not merely a moral ideal; it is presented as the foundation that yields all human aims—moksha (liberation) as well as artha (well-being) and kāma (legitimate enjoyment). The lament underscores that people ignore dharma despite its comprehensive benefits.
The speaker (Vaiśampāyana, narrating) voices a proverbial lament: he publicly proclaims the supremacy and practicality of dharma—symbolized by raising both arms and crying out—yet observes that people remain unwilling to listen or live by it.