Shloka 52

Devanagari script

तस्मादर्थाच्च कामाच्च धर्म एवोत्तरो भवेत्‌ । अस्मिल्लोके परे चैव धर्मात्मा सुखमेधते,इस तरह विचार करनेसे अर्थ और कामकी अपेक्षा धर्म ही श्रेष्ठ सिद्ध होता है। धर्मात्मा पुरुष इहलोकमें और परलोकमें भी सुख भोगता है

Transliteration

tasmād arthāc ca kāmāc ca dharma evottaro bhavet | asmillo ke pare caiva dharmātmā sukham edhate ||

Translation

Vì thế, khi suy xét cho đúng, chỉ có Dharma mới tỏ ra cao hơn cả của cải (artha) lẫn dục vọng (kāma). Người nương tựa Dharma sẽ hưng thịnh trong an lạc—ở đời này và cả đời sau.

Word by Word

तस्मात्therefore/from that

अर्थात्from wealth/artha

चand

कामात्from desire/kāma

चand

धर्मःdharma/righteousness

एवindeed/alone

उत्तरःhigher/superior

भवेत्would be/should be

अस्मिन्in this

लोकेworld

परेin the other (world)

चand

एवalso/indeed

धर्मात्माa righteous-souled person

सुखम्happiness

एधतेprospers/thrives

Speaker

उतथ्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dharma

Artha

Kāma

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is to be regarded as higher than both artha (material gain) and kāma (pleasure), because it yields lasting welfare and happiness not only in this life but also beyond.

What is happening in the narrative?

Utathya is instructing his listener in the Shanti Parva’s ethical discourse, ranking the human aims and concluding that Dharma should guide choices over the pursuit of wealth or pleasure.