Shloka 8

अध्याय २९ — वासुदेव–संजय संवादः

Karma, Varṇa-Dharma, and the Ethics of Governance

Devanagari script

स्वाध्यायिनो ब्राह्मणा भिक्षवश्न तपस्विनो ये च नित्या वनेषु । अभिवाद्या वै मद्धचनेन वृद्धा- स्तथेतरेषां कुशलं वदेथा:

Transliteration

svādhyāyino brāhmaṇā bhikṣavaś ca tapassvino ye ca nityā vaneṣu | abhivādyā vai madvacanena vṛddhās tathetareṣāṁ kuśalaṁ vadethāḥ ||

Translation

যুধিষ্ঠির বললেন—বেদস্বাধ্যায়ে নিবিষ্ট ব্রাহ্মণদের, ভিক্ষুদের এবং অরণ্যে নিত্যবাসী তপস্বী ঋষিদের আমার নামে প্রণাম জানিও। বয়োজ্যেষ্ঠদের যথাবিধি অভিবাদন করো, আর অন্য সকলেরও কুশল সংবাদ জিজ্ঞাসা করো।

Word by Word

• स्वाध्यायिनः: students/reciters of Veda (self-study practitioners)
• स्वाध्यायिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वाध्यायिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भिक्षवः: mendicants/monks
• भिक्षवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तपस्विनः: ascetics
• तपस्विनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ये: who/those who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• नित्याः: always/constant
• नित्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वनेषु: in forests
• वनेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• अभिवाद्याः: to be saluted / worthy of salutation
• अभिवाद्याः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिवाद्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• मत्: from me / on my behalf
• मत्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• वचनेन: by (my) words / with a message
• वचनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वृद्धाः: elders
• वृद्धाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• इतरेषाम्: of the others
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इतर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• कुशलम्: welfare / well-being
• कुशलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुशल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वदेथाः: you should say / convey / ask
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद्
• Form: Imperative (Lot), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Brāhmaṇas
• Bhikṣus (mendicants)
• Tapasvins (forest ascetics)
• Elders (vṛddhas)
• Forest (vana)