Shloka 101

Devanagari script

यक्ष उवाच धर्मश्चार्थक्ष॒ कामश्ष॒ परस्परविरोधिन: । एषां नित्यविरुद्धानां कथमेकत्र संगम:,यक्षने पूछा--धर्म, अर्थ और काम--ये सब परस्पर विरोधी हैं। इन नित्य-विरुद्ध पुरुषार्थोका एक स्थानपर कैसे संयोग हो सकता है?

Transliteration

yakṣa uvāca | dharmaś cārthaś ca kāmaś ca paraspara-virodhinaḥ | eṣāṁ nitya-viruddhānāṁ katham ekatra saṅgamaḥ ||

Translation

The Yaksha said: ‘Dharma, artha, and kāma are mutually opposed. Since these human aims are perpetually in tension with one another, how can they ever be brought together in a single course of life?’

Word by Word

यक्षःthe Yaksha

उवाचsaid

धर्मःdharma, righteousness

चand

अर्थःartha, wealth/purpose

चand

कामःkāma, desire/pleasure

चand

परस्पर-विरोधिनःmutually opposed

एषाम्of these

नित्य-विरुद्धानाम्of (those) always conflicting

कथम्how?

एकत्रin one place, together

संगमःmeeting, conjunction, union

Speaker

यक्ष उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yaksha

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a classic ethical problem: the three aims—dharma (right), artha (advantage), and kāma (desire)—often pull a person in different directions. The teaching implied by the question is that wise living requires discernment and prioritization, typically subordinating artha and kāma to dharma so that pursuit of prosperity and pleasure does not violate moral order.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Yaksha–Prashna episode of the Vana Parva, the Yaksha tests Yudhiṣṭhira through probing questions. Here the Yaksha challenges him to explain how seemingly conflicting life-goals can be reconciled in practice.