Shloka 18

अध्याय १५२: लोभः पापस्य मूलम् — Greed as the Root of Wrongdoing

Devanagari script

सो<हं न केनचिच्चार्थी त्वां च धर्मादुपाह्दये । क्रोशतां सर्वभूतानां हाहा धिगिति जल्पताम्‌,मैं तुमसे कोई वस्तु लेनेकी इच्छा नहीं रखता। यदि समस्त प्राणी मुझे खोटी-खरी सुनाते रहें, हाय-हाय मचाते रहें और धिक्कार देते रहें तो भी उनकी अवहेलना करके मैं तुम्हें केवल धर्मके कारण निकट आनेके लिये आमन्त्रित करता हूँ

Transliteration

so ’haṃ na kenacit cārthī tvāṃ ca dharmād upāhvaye | krośatāṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ hāhā dhig iti jalpatām ||

Translation

सोऽहं न केनचिच्चार्थी त्वां च धर्मादुपाह्वये । क्रोशतां सर्वभूतानां हाहा धिगिति जल्पताम् ॥

Word by Word

{'so ’ham''I indeed

I myself', 'na ... arthī''not desirous/seeking (any) gain or object', 'kenacit': 'from anyone

by anyone (instrumental/ablative sense in context)', 'tvām''you', 'dharmāt': 'from/for the sake of dharma

on account of righteousness', 'upāhvaye (upāhvayāmi)''I call near

I summon', 'krośatām''of those who cry out

of those who shout (genitive plural present participle)', 'sarvabhūtānām''of all beings/creatures', 'hāhā': 'alas! an exclamation of lament', 'dhik': 'shame! fie! an exclamation of censure', 'iti': 'thus

in these words', 'jalpatām''of those who prattle/speak (often with a disparaging nuance)

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śaunaka

sarvabhūta (all beings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should act from dharma rather than self-interest or fear of public blame. The speaker emphasizes detachment from gain and from the crowd’s condemnation, grounding the invitation/action purely in righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śaunaka addresses someone directly, stating that he is not seeking any personal benefit. He calls the person to come near for the sake of dharma, declaring that even universal outcry and reproach would not deter him from this righteous purpose.