Shloka 24
Vyāsa’s Counsel to the Concealed Pāṇḍavas; Śaṃkara’s Boon and the Predestination of Draupadī
Chapter 157
अर्थेप्सुता परं दुःखमर्थप्राप्ती ततो5धिकम् । जातस्नेहस्य चार्थेषु विप्रयोगे महत्तरम्,धनकी इच्छा सबसे बड़ा दु:ख है, किंतु धन प्राप्त करनेमें तो और भी अधिक दु:ख है और जिसकी धनमें आसक्ति हो गयी है-, उसे उस धनका वियोग होनेपर इतना महान् दुःख होता है, जिसकी कोई सीमा नहीं है
arthepsutā paraṁ duḥkham arthaprāptis tato 'dhikam | jātasnehasya cārtheṣu viprayoge mahattaram ||
O brâmane disse: “A cobiça por riqueza é, por si, uma grande dor; obtê-la traz sofrimento ainda maior. E para quem se apegou aos bens, separar-se dessa riqueza torna-se um luto muito mais avassalador.”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Desire for wealth generates suffering in three stages: craving itself is painful, acquiring wealth is even more burdensome, and once attachment forms, losing wealth produces the greatest grief. The ethical thrust is toward vairāgya (detachment) and restraint of greed.
A Brahmin speaker delivers a reflective instruction on the psychological and moral consequences of pursuing wealth, emphasizing how attachment to possessions intensifies sorrow, especially at the moment of loss.