Shloka 28
Devanagari script
तस्माद गुणेषु रज्येथा मा दोषेषु कथंचन । निर्गुणो5पि हि दुर्बुद्धिरात्मन: सोडतिरज्यते
Transliteration
tasmād guṇeṣu rajyethā mā doṣeṣu kathaṃcana | nirguṇo 'pi hi durbuddhir ātmanaḥ so 'tirajyate ||
Translation
অতএব গুণের প্রতি আসক্ত হও, দোষের প্রতি কোনোভাবেই নয়; কারণ গুণহীন হলেও দুর্বুদ্ধি ব্যক্তি নিজেরই অহং ও প্রবৃত্তিতে অতিমাত্রায় জড়িয়ে পড়ে।
Word by Word
तस्मात्therefore/from that
तस्मात्:
Apadana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formmasculine/neuter, ablative, singular
गुणेषुin virtues/qualities
गुणेषु:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootगुण
Formmasculine, locative, plural
रज्येथाःmay you be attached/delight
रज्येथाः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootरञ्ज्
Formimperative, 2nd, singular, Atmanepada
माdo not
मा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootमा
दोषेषुin faults
दोषेषु:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootदोष
Formmasculine, locative, plural
कथंचनin any way/at all
कथंचन:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथंचन
निर्गुणःdevoid of virtues
निर्गुणः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootनिर्गुण
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
अपिeven/also
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
हिindeed/for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
दुर्बुद्धिःa person of bad intellect
दुर्बुद्धिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदुर्बुद्धि
Formfeminine, nominative, singular
आत्मनःof oneself
आत्मनः:
TypeNoun
Rootआत्मन्
Formmasculine, genitive, singular
सौदतिरज्यतेbecomes excessively attached (reading uncertain)
सौदतिरज्यते:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootसौदतिरज्यते
Formpresent, 3rd, singular, Atmanepada
Speaker
पराशर उवाच
Characters & Entities
प
पराशर (Parāśara)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Cultivate attraction toward virtues (guṇa) and refuse fascination with faults (doṣa). The verse warns that lack of discernment leads to excessive self-attachment, which then fuels moral decline.
Parāśara is giving didactic counsel in the Śānti Parva, framing ethical discipline as a matter of directing one’s attachment: toward good qualities rather than toward defects, and away from ego-driven clinging.