नाग्निस् तृप्यति काष्ठानां नापगानां महोदधिः ॥
नान्तकः सर्वभूतानां न पुंसां वामलोचना ॥
आशा धृतिं हन्ति समृद्धिम् अन्तकः; क्रोधः श्रियं हन्ति यशः कदर्यता ॥
अपालनं हन्ति पशूंश् च राजन्न्; एकः क्रुद्धो ब्राह्मणो हन्ति राष्ट्रम् ॥
अजश् च कांस्यं च रथश् च नित्यं; मध्व् आकर्षः शकुनिः श्रोत्रियश् च ॥
वृद्धो ज्ञातिर् अवसन्नो वयस्य; एतानि ते सन्तु गृहे सदैव ॥
अजोक्षा चन्दनं वीणा आदर्शो मधुसर्पिषी ॥
विषम् औदुम्बरं शङ्खः स्वर्णं नाभिश् च रोचना ॥
गृहे स्थापयितव्यानि धन्यानि मनुर् अब्रवीत् ॥
देवब्राह्मणपूजार्थम् अतिथीनां च भारत ॥
nāgnis tṛpyati kāṣṭhānāṃ nāpagānāṃ mahodadhiḥ ||
nāntakaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ na puṃsāṃ vāmalocanā ||
āśā dhṛtiṃ hanti samṛddhim antakaḥ; krodhaḥ śriyaṃ hanti yaśaḥ kadaryatā ||
apālanaṃ hanti paśūṃś ca rājann; ekaḥ kruddho brāhmaṇo hanti rāṣṭram ||
ajaś ca kāṃsyaṃ ca rathaś ca nityaṃ; madhv ākarṣaḥ śakuniḥ śrotriyaś ca ||
vṛddho jñātir avasanno vayasya; etāni te santu gṛhe sadaiva ||
ajokṣā candanaṃ vīṇā ādarśo madhusarpiṣī ||
viṣam audumbaraṃ śaṅkhaḥ svarṇaṃ nābhiś ca rocanā ||
gṛhe sthāpayitavyāni dhanyāni manur abravīt ||
devabrāhmaṇapūjārtham atithīnāṃ ca bhārata ||
Students, again, occupied with learning cannot enjoy pleasures. Those devoted to pleasure must give up knowledge, and those devoted to knowledge must give up pleasure. Fire is never satisfied with fuel, however much of it may be consumed. The great ocean is never satisfied with the rivers it receives, however great their number. Death is never satisfied even with entire living beings. A beautiful woman is never satisfied with any number of men — and so it may well be. O king, hope destroys patience; Yama destroys growth; anger destroys prosperity; stinginess destroys fame; lack of care ruins cattle; a single angered brahmin can destroy an entire kingdom. May there always be, in your house, goats, copper, silver, honey, antidotes to poison, birds, brahmins versed in the Vedas, aged kinsmen, and people of noble birth fallen into poverty. O Bharata, Manu said that goats, bulls, sandalwood, lutes, mirrors, honey, clarified butter, iron, copper, conch shells, shalagrama (a stone image of Vishnu containing gold), and gorochana should always be kept in the house for the worship of the gods. Brahmins and guests — all these are auspicious.
e5eafe2b4114 · published Jul 17, 2026, 4:02:44 AM UTC
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This passage (5.40.6–10) develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort toward peace unfolds against the backdrop of an already inevitable war. Here dharma reveals itself through speech, the choice of embassy, fidelity to one's word, and the responsibility of kings for the consequences of their decisions.