Shloka 15

Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 1 — The Pandavas’ Exit from Gajasāhvaya and the Citizens’ Lament (जनमेजयप्रश्नः; पाण्डवानां वनप्रस्थानम्)

Devanagari script

न तत्‌ कुलं न चाचारो न धर्मो<र्थ: कुतः सुखम्‌ । यत्र पापसहायो<यं पापो राज्यं चिकीर्षति,जहाँ पापियोंकी ही सहायतासे यह पापाचारी राज्य करना चाहता है वहाँ हमलोगोंके कुल, आचार, धर्म और अर्थ भी नहीं रह सकते, फिर सुख तो रह ही कैसे सकता है?

Transliteration

na tat kulaṃ na cācāro na dharmo 'rthaḥ kutaḥ sukham | yatra pāpa-sahāyo 'yaṃ pāpo rājyaṃ cikīrṣati ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「この罪深き者が、同じく罪ある者どもの助けを得て王権を求めるところでは、高き家柄も正しき作法も残らぬ。ダルマも、世の富さえも保てぬ。されば、いかで幸福があり得ようか。」

Word by Word

नnot

तत्that

कुलम्family/lineage

नnor/not

चand

आचारःconduct/custom

नnor/not

धर्मःdharma/righteousness

अर्थःwealth/means (artha)

कुतःwhence/how then

सुखम्happiness

यत्रwhere

पाप-सहायःhaving sinful helpers / aided by sinners

अयम्this (man)

पापःsinful/wicked

राज्यम्kingdom/rule

चिकीर्षतिwishes/intends to do

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A polity led by a wicked ruler and sustained by wicked allies destroys the foundations of life—lineage and social integrity (kula), proper conduct (ācāra), righteousness (dharma), and prosperity (artha); without these, happiness (sukha) is impossible.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana comments on the moral collapse that follows when power is pursued and maintained through sinful support: the very conditions that uphold a stable and happy society are undermined, making true welfare unattainable.