Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 26

धन-राजधर्म संवादः

Discourse on Wealth and Royal Duty

न चेद्धर्तव्यमन्यस्य कथं तद्धर्ममारभेत्‌ । एतावानेव वेदेषु निश्चय: कविभि: कृत:

na ced dhartavyam anyasya kathaṁ tad dharmam ārabhet | etāvān eva vedeṣu niścayaḥ kavibhiḥ kṛtaḥ ||

अर्जुन म्हणाला—जर दुसऱ्याचे जे आहे ते घेणे योग्य नसेल, तर त्याला ‘धर्म’ म्हणत कसे आरंभ करावा? वेदांत ऋषींनी हाच एक निश्चय ठरविला आहे.

not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
चेत्if
चेत्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootचेत्
धर्तव्यम्to be borne/maintained; ought to be undertaken
धर्तव्यम्:
TypeVerb
Rootधृ
Formतव्यत् (gerundive/obligative), neuter, nominative/accusative, singular, passive sense
अन्यस्यof another (person)
अन्यस्य:
TypeAdjective
Rootअन्य
Formmasculine/neuter, genitive, singular
कथम्how?
कथम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम्
तत्that
तत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formneuter, accusative, singular
धर्मम्dharma; duty
धर्मम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
Formmasculine, accusative, singular
आरभेत्should begin/undertake
आरभेत्:
TypeVerb
Rootआ-रभ्
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), present-system (optative sense), 3rd, singular, परस्मैपदम्
एतावान्this much; so much
एतावान्:
TypeAdjective
Rootएतावत्
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
एवindeed; only
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
वेदेषुin the Vedas
वेदेषु:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootवेद
Formmasculine, locative, plural
निश्चयःcertainty; settled conclusion
निश्चयः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनिश्चय
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
कविभिःby sages/poets
कविभिः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootकवि
Formmasculine, instrumental, plural
कृतःmade; established
कृतः:
TypeVerb
Rootकृ
Formक्त (past passive participle), masculine, nominative, singular

अर्जुन उवाच

A
Arjuna
V
Vedas
K
kavi (sages/seers)

Educational Q&A

That taking what belongs to another cannot be justified as dharma; the Vedic-sage consensus treats non-appropriation (non-stealing) as a firm ethical boundary.

Arjuna frames a moral objection in the form of a rhetorical question, appealing to Vedic authority and the determinations of sages to argue that an act involving taking another’s possession cannot be initiated as righteous duty.