Shloka 37
नाकामतो ब्राह्मुणा: स्वन्नमर्थान् नाकामतो ददति ब्राह्मणेभ्य: । नाकामतो विविधा लोकचेष्टा तस्मात् काम: प्राक् त्रिवर्गस्य दृष्ट:
nākāmato brāhmaṇāḥ svannam arthān nākāmato dadati brāhmaṇebhyaḥ | nākāmato vividhā lokaceṣṭā tasmāt kāmaḥ prāk trivargasya dṛṣṭaḥ ||
नाकामतो ब्राह्मणाः स्वन्नमर्थान् नाकामतो ददति ब्राह्मणेभ्यः । नाकामतो विविधा लोकचेष्टा तस्मात् कामः प्राक् त्रिवर्गस्य दृष्टः ॥
भीमयेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Desire (kāma) is presented as a primary driver of human and worldly activity: eating, giving, and general striving typically arise from some wish or motive. Hence, in practical life, kāma is seen as preceding and energizing the other aims within the trivarga (dharma–artha–kāma).
In the Śānti Parva’s reflective discourse on conduct and life-goals, Bhīma argues from everyday observation—food, charity, and worldly effort—to claim that desire underlies most actions, and thus occupies a foremost place among the three human aims.