Shloka 203
धर्म: सुचरित: सद्धिः स च द्वाभ्यां नियच्छति । श्रीकृष्णकी यह बात सुनकर धर्मज्ञ हलधरने इस प्रकार कहा--*श्रीकृष्ण! श्रेष्ठ पुरुषोंने धर्मका अच्छी तरह आचरण किया है; किंतु वह अर्थ और काम--इन दो वस्तुओंसे संकुचित हो जाता है
dharmaḥ sucaritaḥ saddhiḥ sa ca dvābhyāṁ niyacchati |
धर्मः सुचरितः सद्भिः स च द्वाभ्यां नियच्छति ।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when dharma is known and practiced by the virtuous, it can be practically limited by artha (self-interest, gain) and kāma (desire). The verse highlights how moral clarity is often pressured and narrowed by worldly incentives and personal cravings.
In Sanjaya’s narration during the Shalya Parva, a reflection is offered on the fragility of dharma amid conflict: the war setting repeatedly shows how leaders and warriors, though aware of righteousness, become constrained by ambition and desire.