Shloka 15
Śīla-prāpti and Śīla-lakṣaṇa (शीलप्राप्ति-शीललक्षणम्) | On the Acquisition and Marks of Character
कामन्दक उवाच यो धर्मार्थो परित्यज्य काममेवानुवर्तते । स धर्मार्थिपरित्यागात् प्रज्ञानाशमिहा्च्छति
Kāmandaka uvāca: yo dharmārtho parityajya kāmam evānuvartate | sa dharmārthī-parityāgāt prajñānāśam ihārcchati ||
カーマンダカは言った。「王よ、ダルマとアルタを捨て、ただ欲望のみを追う者は、その二つの目的を投げ捨てたがゆえに、この生において識別の智慧を滅ぼしてしまう。」
कामन्दक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Desire (kāma) must be governed by dharma and supported by artha; if one pursues pleasure alone while abandoning righteousness and responsible welfare, one’s prajñā—clear judgment—collapses, leading to ethical and practical ruin in this life.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on governance and conduct, Kāmandaka addresses a king, warning him that a ruler (or any person) who prioritizes personal desire over dharma and artha loses discernment, undermining both moral authority and effective rule.