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Shloka 50

Kośa, Bala, and Maryādā: Treasury, Capacity, and Enforceable Limits (कोश-बल-मर्यादा)

निर्धनको दुर्बल कहा जाता है। धनसे मनुष्य बलवान्‌ होता है। धनवान्‌को सब कुछ सुलभ है। जिसके पास खजाना है, वह सारे संकटोंसे पार हो जाता है ।।

Bhīṣma uvāca: nirdhanako durbalaḥ kathyate; dhanena manuṣyo balavān bhavati. dhanavataḥ sarvaṃ sulabham. yasya kośaḥ sa sarvasaṅkaṭebhyaḥ pāraṃ gacchati. kośena dharmaḥ kāmaś ca paralokas tathā ayam; taṃ ca dharmeṇa lipsen nādharmeṇa kadācana.

ภีษมะกล่าวว่า “ผู้ยากไร้ย่อมถูกเรียกว่าอ่อนแอ; ด้วยทรัพย์มนุษย์ย่อมมีกำลัง ผู้มั่งคั่งย่อมได้ทุกสิ่งโดยง่าย; ผู้มีคลังทรัพย์ย่อมข้ามพ้นทุกวิกฤต ด้วยทรัพย์จึงบรรลุทั้งธรรมและกาม ทั้งโลกนี้และโลกหน้า ฉะนั้นพึงแสวงหาทรัพย์ด้วยธรรม—อย่าได้ด้วยอธรรมเป็นอันขาด”

kośenaby/with treasure (wealth)
kośena:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootkośa
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
dharmaḥdharma, righteousness
dharmaḥ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootdharma
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
kāmaḥdesire, enjoyment
kāmaḥ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootkāma
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
caand
ca:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca
paralokaḥthe next world, afterlife
paralokaḥ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootparaloka
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
tathālikewise, also
tathā:
TypeIndeclinable
Roottathā
ayamthis (world/one)
ayam:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootidam
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
tamthat (wealth/treasure)
tam:
Karma
TypePronoun
Roottad
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
caand
ca:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca
dharmeṇaby righteousness, through dharma
dharmeṇa:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootdharma
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
lipsateshould desire to obtain / seeks
lipsate:
TypeVerb
Root√labh (labh)
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Atmanepada, Lat
nanot
na:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna
adharmeṇaby unrighteousness, through adharma
adharmeṇa:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootadharma
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
kadācanaever, at any time
kadācana:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkadācana

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
K
kośa (treasury/wealth)

Educational Q&A

Wealth functions as practical strength and enables the pursuit of life’s aims (dharma, kāma, and well-being in this world and the next), but it must be acquired only through dharma; unethical gain is explicitly rejected.

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīṣma continues his counsel on statecraft and right conduct, emphasizing the social and political necessity of resources while setting a moral boundary: prosperity should be sought by righteous means.