Shloka 33

Kuberasaras-darśana (Bhīma beholds Kubera’s guarded lotus-lake) / कुबेरसरः-दर्शनम्

Devanagari script

वार्ताधर्मे ह्ुवर्तिन्यो विनश्येयुरिमा: प्रजा: । सुप्रवृत्तैस्त्रिभिह तिर्धर्म सूयन्ति वै प्रजा:,यदि यह प्रजा वार्ता-धर्म (कृषि, गोरक्षा और वाणिज्य) में प्रवृत्त न हो तो नष्ट हो जायगी। इन तीनोंकी सम्यक प्रवृत्ति होनेसे प्रजा धर्मका सम्पादन करती है

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

vārtādharme hy avartinyo vinaśyeyur imāḥ prajāḥ |

supravṛttais tribhir hi tair dharmaṃ sūyanti vai prajāḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：若这些民众不从事生计之法——农耕、护牛与贸易——便将灭亡；而当这三者被正当地践行时，民众确能生起并维系达摩（社会秩序与正当生活）。

Word by Word

वार्ताधर्मेin the vocation-duty of livelihood (agriculture, cattle-rearing, trade)

हिindeed/for

अवर्तिन्यःnot engaged (in it)

विनश्येयुःwould perish

इमाःthese

प्रजाःsubjects/people

सुप्रवृत्तैःby well-functioning (ones)

त्रिभिःby three

हिindeed

त्रिधर्मसूयन्तिproduce/bring forth the threefold dharma

वैindeed/verily

प्रजाःsubjects/people

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

prajāḥ (the people/subjects)

vārtā-dharma (agriculture, cattle-protection, trade)

Character Dynamics

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 not sustained by ideals alone; it depends on stable livelihood practices. When agriculture, cattle-protection, and trade function properly, society survives and ethical order can be maintained.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator Vaiśampāyana states a general principle about social welfare: without engagement in the three pillars of vārtā (economic life), the populace would collapse; with their proper operation, the people uphold and generate dharma.