Mahabharata 3.2.39 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 2, Shloka 39
ब्राह्मणानुयात्रा—शौनकोपदेशः
Brāhmaṇas Follow into Exile and Śaunaka’s Instruction
राजत: सलिलादमन्नेश्षलोरत: स्वजनादपि । भयमर्थवतां नित्यं मृत्यो: प्राणभूतामिव,“धनवान् मनुष्योंको राजा, जल, अग्नि, चोर तथा स्वजनोंसे भी सदा उसी प्रकार भय बना रहता है, जैसे सब प्राणियोंको मृत्युसे
rājataḥ salilād agner corataḥ svajanād api | bhayam arthavatāṁ nityaṁ mṛtyoḥ prāṇabhūtām iva ||
وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا— مالداروں کو بادشاہ سے، پانی سے، آگ سے، چور سے، بلکہ اپنے ہی عزیزوں سے بھی ہمیشہ خوف رہتا ہے؛ جیسے تمام جانداروں پر موت کا خوف ہر دم سایہ فگن رہتا ہے۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wealth tends to multiply sources of fear—state power, accidents, disasters, theft, and even conflict within one’s own circle—so ethical living emphasizes restraint and reduced attachment to possessions to lessen anxiety.
In Vaiśaṃpāyana’s narration, a reflective maxim is stated: the wealthy live with continual apprehension from many directions, illustrating a moral observation about the burdens that accompany material possession.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.