Mahabharata · 1.148.12–13
॥
Devanāgarī
राजानं प्रथमं विन्देत् ततो भार्यां ततो धनम् ॥
त्रयस्य संचये चास्य ज्ञातीन् पुत्रांश् च धारयेत् ॥
विपरीतं मया चेदं त्रयं सर्वम् उपार्जितम् ॥
त इमाम् आपदं प्राप्य भृशं तप्स्यामहे वयम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
rājānaṃ prathamaṃ vindet tato bhāryāṃ tato dhanam ||
trayasya saṃcaye cāsya jñātīn putrāṃś ca dhārayet ||
viparītaṃ mayā cedaṃ trayaṃ sarvam upārjitam ||
ta imām āpadaṃ prāpya bhṛśaṃ tapsyāmahe vayam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
राजानं प्रथमं विन्देत् ततः भार्यां ततः धनम्rājānaṃ prathamaṃ vindet tataḥ bhāryāṃ tataḥ dhanam"first one should obtain a [good] king, then a wife, then wealth;
त्रयस्य संचये च अस्य ज्ञातीन् पुत्रान् च धारयेत्trayasya saṃcaye ca asya jñātīn putrān ca dhārayetand by amassing these three he may support kin and sons;
विपरीतं मया च इदं त्रयं सर्वम् उपार्जितम्viparītaṃ mayā ca idaṃ trayaṃ sarvam upārjitambut I have obtained all three of these in the reverse order;
ते इमाम् आपदं प्राप्य भृशं तप्स्यामहे वयम्te imām āpadaṃ prāpya bhṛśaṃ tapsyāmahe vayamtherefore, having come to this calamity, we suffer grievously;
ततोtatooriginal form "tato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततोtatooriginal form "tato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चास्यcāsyaoriginal form "cāsya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुत्रांश्putrāṃśoriginal form "putrāṃś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चेदंcedaṃoriginal form "cedaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तtaoriginal form "ta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"First one should obtain a good king, then a wife, then wealth; and once these three are gained, one may support kin and sons. But I obtained all three in the reverse order; therefore, having come to this calamity, we suffer grievously."
Version
b4022e647793 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:09:57 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the brahmin traces his misfortune to a broken order of goods. The rule is significant: first of all, a good sovereign, for without secure protection both wife and wealth are vain — everything rests on the safety a righteous king provides. Here is a hierarchy of earthly supports: the foundation of well-being is righteous rule, not riches; whoever gathers goods under the shadow of wrongdoing builds on sand. His confession of guilt in the "reverse order" is significant: he set up his household and estate where there was no good lord. Thus the verse shows that well-being requires the right foundation; and whoever neglects it reaps, as this brahmin does, a bitter fruit.