Shloka 18

धन-राजधर्म संवादः

Discourse on Wealth and Royal Duty

Devanagari script

अर्थन हि विहीनस्य पुरुषस्याल्पमेधस: । विच्छिद्यन्ते क्रिया: सर्वा ग्रीष्मे कुसरितो यथा,जैसे गर्मीमें छोटी-छोटी नदियाँ सूख जाती हैं, उसी प्रकार धनहीन हुए मन्दबुद्धि मनुष्यकी सारी क्रियाएँ छिन्न-भिन्न हो जाती हैं

Transliteration

arthena hi vihīnasya puruṣasyālpamedhasaḥ | vicchidyante kriyāḥ sarvā grīṣme kusarito yathā ||

Translation

அர்ஜுனன் கூறினான்— கோடைக்கால வெப்பத்தில் சிறுசிறு ஓடைகள் உலர்ந்து துண்டுபடுவதுபோல், செல்வமற்ற குறைந்த அறிவுடைய மனிதனின் எல்லாக் காரியங்களும் முறிந்து சிதைந்து தோல்வியடைகின்றன.

Word by Word

अर्थेनby/with wealth (means)

हिindeed/for

विहीनस्यof one deprived (of)

पुरुषस्यof a man/person

अल्पमेधसःof the dull-witted (small-intellect)

विच्छिद्यन्तेare broken off/are disrupted

क्रियाःactions/undertakings

सर्वाःall

ग्रीष्मेin summer

कुसरितःsmall streams/rivulets

यथाjust as

Speaker

अर्जुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

man/person (puruṣa)

wealth/resources (artha)

small streams/rivulets (kusarita)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Material means (artha) strongly condition a person’s capacity to sustain duties and projects; without resources, especially for the short-sighted, actions and obligations tend to collapse—hence ethical life must account for practical support, not ideals alone.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna voices a reflective observation in the Shanti Parva’s discourse: he uses a seasonal metaphor—small streams drying in summer—to illustrate how a resource-less person’s activities and commitments get disrupted and fail.