Shloka 28

Gautama–Śakra Saṃvāda: Karma, Loka-bheda, and the Restoration of the Elephant

Devanagari script

निराशिषो निर्ममा वीतरागा लाभालाभे तुल्यनिन्दाप्रशंसा: । तथाविधानामेष लोको महर्षे परं गन्ता धृतराष्ट्रो न तत्र

Transliteration

nirāśiṣo nirmamā vītarāgā lābhālābhe tulyanindāpraśaṃsāḥ | tathāvidhānām eṣa loko maharṣe paraṃ gantā dhṛtarāṣṭro na tatra |

Translation

Gautama sprach: „O großer Weiser, dieses Reich ist für jene bestimmt, die frei von Erwartung, frei von Besitzdenken und ohne Anhaftung sind—die in Gewinn und Verlust gleich bleiben und ebenso in Tadel und Lob. Doch Dhṛtarāṣṭra wird nicht dorthin gelangen.“

Word by Word

• निराशिषः: desireless; without expectations
• निराशिषः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराशिष्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• निर्ममाः: without possessiveness
• निर्ममाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वीतरागाः: free from attachment/passion
• वीतरागाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीतराग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• लाभालाभे: in gain and loss
• लाभालाभे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाभालाभ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तुल्य: equal; same-minded
• तुल्य: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• निन्दा: in blame/censure
• निन्दा: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निन्दा
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• प्रशंसाः: praises
• प्रशंसाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रशंसा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• तथाविधानाम्: of such (people); of those of that kind
• तथाविधानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथाविध
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• लोकः: world; realm
• लोकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महर्षे: O great sage
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• परम्: supreme (goal/state)
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गन्ता: goer; one who will go
• गन्ता: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: तृच् (agent noun), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धृतराष्ट्रः: Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• धृतराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

Speaker

गौतम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Maharṣi (addressed sage)
• loka (realm)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse praises inner renunciation: freedom from craving for results, possessiveness, and attachment, along with steady equanimity amid gain/loss and praise/blame. Such qualities are presented as qualifications for attaining a higher realm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Gautama describes the kind of people eligible for a particular exalted realm and then states that Dhṛtarāṣṭra will not attain that destination, implying a moral-spiritual shortfall relative to the stated ideals.