Shloka 6

Śīla-prāpti and Śīla-lakṣaṇa (शीलप्राप्ति-शीललक्षणम्) | On the Acquisition and Marks of Character

Devanagari script

धर्माच्छरीरसंगुप्तिर्धर्मार्थ चार्थ उच्यते । कामो रतिफल श्षात्र सर्वे ते च रजस्वला:,धर्मसे शरीरकी रक्षा होती है, धर्मका उपार्जन करनेके लिये ही अर्थकी आवश्यकता बतायी जाती है तथा कामका फल है रति। वे सभी रजोगुणमय हैं

Transliteration

dharmāc charīrasaṁguptir dharmārthaṁ cārtha ucyate | kāmo ratiphalas tatra sarve te ca rajasvalāḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma nói: “Từ dharma mà thân thể được gìn giữ; và artha (tài vật) được tuyên bố là cần thiết chính để có thể tích lũy và thực hành dharma. Kāma kết quả thành rati (khoái lạc). Nhưng cả ba—dharma, artha và kāma—đều vận hành trong phạm vi của rajas (tính động, đam mê).”

Word by Word

धर्मात्from dharma

शरीरbody

संगुप्तिःprotection, safeguarding

धर्मार्थम्for the sake of dharma

चand

अर्थःwealth, means

उच्यतेis said, is called

कामःdesire, kāma

रतिsexual enjoyment, pleasure

फलःfruit, result

शास्त्रtreatise, teaching

सर्वेall

तेthey

चand

रजस्वलाःfull of rajas; rajasic

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

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?

Dharma sustains and protects embodied life; artha is justified as an instrument to support dharma; kāma culminates in pleasure. Yet these aims, as ordinarily pursued in worldly life, are characterized by rajas—restless, goal-driven activity—implying the need for discernment and higher integration.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on the aims of life and their proper ordering, explaining how dharma, artha, and kāma relate causally and ethically, and noting their connection to the guṇa of rajas.