Śānti-parva 168: Śoka-nivṛtti-buddhi (The Cognition that Reduces Grief) and Piṅgalā’s Nairāśya
भीमयेन उवाच नाकाम: कामयत्यर्थ नाकामो धर्ममिच्छति । नाकाम: कामयानो<स्ति तस्मात् कामो विशिष्यते
Bhīmayena uvāca: nākāmaḥ kāmayaty arthaṃ nākāmo dharmam icchati | nākāmaḥ kāmayāno 'sti tasmāt kāmo viśiṣyate ||
ビーマは言った。「欲望を離れた者は富を求めず、ダルマを修めようとすら望まない。欲なき人が享楽(カーマ)を求める者として見いだされることはない。ゆえに、人生の三目的のうち、カーマ(欲望・快楽)が最も決定的であるとされる。」
भीमयेन उवाच
Bhīma argues that desire (kāma) is the driving force behind human pursuit: without desire, one does not strive for wealth (artha) or even for dharma; hence kāma is presented as the most influential among the three aims.
In the Śānti Parva’s reflective dialogue, Bhīma addresses Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira) and offers a pragmatic view of human motivation, asserting that desire underlies the pursuit of both material success and moral/religious duty.