Shloka 11

पाण्डोः प्रेतकार्य-सम्पादनम्

Pāṇḍu’s Funeral Rites and Public Mourning

Devanagari script

शश्वद्धर्मात्मनां मुख्ये कुले जातस्यथ भारत । कामलोभाभिभूतस्य कथं ते चलिता मति:,भारत! सदा धर्ममें मन लगानेवाले क्षत्रियोंके प्रधान कुलमें तुम्हारा जन्म हुआ है, तो भी काम और लोभके वशीभूत होकर तुम्हारी बुद्धि धर्मसे कैसे विचलित हुई?

Transliteration

śaśvaddharmātmanāṁ mukhye kule jātasyatha bhārata | kāmalobhābhibhūtasya kathaṁ te calitā matiḥ ||

Translation

Der Hirsch sprach: „O Bhārata, du bist in einem erstrangigen Geschlecht von Kṣatriyas geboren, die stets dem Dharma zugewandt sind. Wie konnte dein Sinn da von der Rechtschaffenheit abirren, überwältigt von Begierde und Gier?“

Word by Word

• शश्वत्: always, continually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शश्वत्
• Form: Avyaya (indeclinable adverb)

• धर्मात्मनाम्: of the righteous-minded (persons)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• मुख्ये: in the chief (line/family)
• मुख्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कुले: in the family
• कुले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• जातस्य: of (you) who are born
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular (past passive participle from √जन्)

• अथ: then, and yet
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ
• Form: Avyaya (indeclinable particle)

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कामलोभाभिभूतस्य: of (you) overcome by desire and greed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामलोभाभिभूत
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular (PPP from अभि+√भू with उपसर्ग; compound: काम+लोभ)

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्
• Form: Avyaya (interrogative adverb)

• ते: your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular (enclitic)

• चलिता: has been moved, has deviated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चलित
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular (PPP from √चल)

• मतिः: mind, understanding
• मतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

मृग उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mṛga (the deer, speaker)
• Bhārata (a descendant of Bharata; addressed person)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

High birth or noble lineage does not guarantee righteous conduct; when desire (kāma) and greed (lobha) dominate, the intellect (mati) deviates from dharma. The verse urges self-restraint and fidelity to one’s ethical duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

A deer addresses a Bhārata (Kuru descendant), rebuking him for moral lapse. The deer contrasts the addressee’s renowned dharmic kṣatriya lineage with his present conduct, asking how his mind could turn away from dharma under the sway of desire and greed.