Shloka 14
Adhyāya 159 — Dāna–Dakṣiṇā, Āpaddharma Measures, and Prāyaścitta Classifications
यो न देवैर्न गन्धर्वैर्नासुरैर्न महोरगै: । ज्ञायते नृप तत्त्वेन सर्वैर्भूतगणैस्तथा
yo na devair na gandharvair nāsurair na mahoragaiḥ | jñāyate nṛpa tattvena sarvair bhūta-gaṇais tathā ||
lobhī manuṣyo bahu-sā lābhaṃ prāpya api na saṃtuṣyati | bhogaiḥ sa kadācana na tṛpyati | nareśvara! na devatābhiḥ, na gandharvaiḥ, na asuraiḥ, na mahā-nāgaiḥ, na ca samastaiḥ bhūta-gaṇaiḥ lobhasya svarūpaṃ yathārtha-rūpeṇa jñāyate ||
毗湿摩说道：大王啊，贪欲的真实本性并不为人如实了知——非诸天所知，非乾闼婆所知，非阿修罗所知，非大蛇所知，亦非一切众生之类所能尽知。贪婪之人，即使获得丰厚利益也不知满足；纵沉溺享乐，亦永不餍足。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Greed (lobha) is intrinsically insatiable: even great gains do not produce contentment, and pleasures do not bring true satisfaction. The verse warns that greed is subtle and overpowering—so difficult to grasp that even exalted beings are said not to know its real nature—thereby urging deliberate cultivation of restraint and contentment.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to the king, Bhīṣma continues his ethical teaching by describing the nature of greed. Addressing the ruler directly, he characterizes greed as universally elusive and practically limitless in its appetite, reinforcing the moral counsel expected of a king and of human conduct generally.