Shloka 28

Devanagari script

लब्धस्य त्यागमित्याहुर्न भोगं न च संचयम्‌ । तस्य कि संचयेनार्थ: कार्ये ज्यायसि तिष्ठतति,“प्राप्त किये हुए धनका दान करना ही उचित बताया गया है। उसे भोगमें लगाना या संग्रह करके रखना ठीक नहीं है। जिसके सामने बहुत बड़ा कार्य यज्ञ आदि मौजूद है, उसे धनको संग्रह करके रखनेकी क्या आवश्यकता है?

Transliteration

labdhasya tyāgam ity āhur na bhogaṁ na ca sañcayam | tasya kiṁ sañcayenārthaḥ kārye jyāyasi tiṣṭhati ||

Translation

人々は言う――財を得たなら、正しき道はそれを捨て施すこと。享楽に費やすでもなく、蓄え込むでもない。祭祀のごとき、より大いなる務めが目前にある者にとって、財を積み上げて何の益があろうか。

Word by Word

लब्धस्यof what has been obtained (wealth)

त्यागम्giving up; donation

इतिthus

आहुःthey say

नnot

भोगम्enjoyment; consumption

नnor

चand

संचयम्hoarding; accumulation

तस्यfor him/of him

किम्what?

संचयेनby/with hoarding; by accumulation

अर्थःpurpose; use

कार्येin (a) task; in a duty/undertaking

ज्यायसिin a greater (more important) one

तिष्ठतिstands; is present; remains

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wealth, once acquired, is best directed toward dāna (giving) and higher obligations (such as yajña and other dharmic duties), rather than being spent on mere enjoyment or locked away in hoarding; accumulation has little value when a greater righteous task is at hand.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, conveys a traditional ethical maxim within the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma: he contrasts three uses of wealth—enjoyment, hoarding, and giving—and endorses giving, especially when significant religious or moral responsibilities are present.