Shloka 146
Śuka’s Guṇa-Transcendence and Vyāsa’s Consolation (शुकगति-वर्णनम्)
दाने कोषक्षयोप्यस्य वैरं चास्याप्रयच्छत: । क्षणेनास्योपवर्तन्ते दोषा वैराग्यकारका:,यदि सबको धनका दान करे तो उसका खजाना ही खाली हो जाय और किसीको कुछ न दे तो सबके साथ वैर बढ़ जाय। उसके सामने क्षण-क्षणमें ऐसे दोष उपस्थित होते हैं, जो उसे राज-काजसे विरक्त कर देते हैं
dāne koṣa-kṣayo 'py asya vairaṃ cāsyāprayacchataḥ | kṣaṇenāsyopavartante doṣā vairāgya-kārakāḥ ||
Bhishma disse: “Se ele dá riqueza em caridade, seu tesouro se esgota; mas se não dá nada a ninguém, cresce a inimizade contra ele. Assim, momento a momento, faltas surgem diante dele—faltas que geram desapego e o fazem voltar-se para longe dos fardos da realeza.”
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma highlights a ruler’s ethical dilemma: excessive giving can exhaust the treasury, while refusing to give breeds public resentment and enmity. The king must practice balanced, discerning generosity; otherwise, the constant emergence of such governance-faults can lead to disillusionment and detachment from royal duty.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira about the pressures and contradictions inherent in ruling. He describes how, in practical administration, a king repeatedly confronts competing demands—resource limits versus social expectations—creating recurring ‘doṣas’ that can push a ruler toward vairagya.