Shloka 6
Śīla-prāpti and Śīla-lakṣaṇa (शीलप्राप्ति-शीललक्षणम्) | On the Acquisition and Marks of Character
धर्माच्छरीरसंगुप्तिर्धर्मार्थ चार्थ उच्यते । कामो रतिफल श्षात्र सर्वे ते च रजस्वला:
dharmāc charīrasaṁguptir dharmārthaṁ cārtha ucyate | kāmo ratiphalas tatra sarve te ca rajasvalāḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: “Daripada dharma datangnya pemeliharaan tubuh; dan artha (harta) dinyatakan perlu tepat kerana dengannya dharma dapat diperoleh dan diamalkan. Kāma menghasilkan rati (kenikmatan) sebagai buahnya. Namun semuanya—dharma, artha, dan kāma—berjalan dalam lingkungan rajas (dorongan nafsu dan kegiatan yang bergelora).”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma sustains and protects embodied life; artha is justified as an instrument to support dharma; kāma culminates in pleasure. Yet these aims, as ordinarily pursued in worldly life, are characterized by rajas—restless, goal-driven activity—implying the need for discernment and higher integration.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on the aims of life and their proper ordering, explaining how dharma, artha, and kāma relate causally and ethically, and noting their connection to the guṇa of rajas.