Shloka 15
Śīla-prāpti and Śīla-lakṣaṇa (शीलप्राप्ति-शीललक्षणम्) | On the Acquisition and Marks of Character
कामन्दक उवाच यो धर्मार्थो परित्यज्य काममेवानुवर्तते । स धर्मार्थिपरित्यागात् प्रज्ञानाशमिहा्च्छति
Kāmandaka uvāca: yo dharmārtho parityajya kāmam evānuvartate | sa dharmārthī-parityāgāt prajñānāśam ihārcchati ||
迦曼达迦说道：“大王啊，凡舍弃法（dharma）与利（artha），而唯随欲望者——因抛却这两种人生目标，他在此生便会走向辨识之智的败坏。”
कामन्दक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Desire (kāma) must be governed by dharma and supported by artha; if one pursues pleasure alone while abandoning righteousness and responsible welfare, one’s prajñā—clear judgment—collapses, leading to ethical and practical ruin in this life.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on governance and conduct, Kāmandaka addresses a king, warning him that a ruler (or any person) who prioritizes personal desire over dharma and artha loses discernment, undermining both moral authority and effective rule.