Mahabharata 7.175.52 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 175, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

स त्वं कुरु महाबाहो कर्म युक्तमिहात्मन: । मातुलानां 4 तेजसोअस्त्रबलस्य च

Transliteration

sa tvaṁ kuru mahābāho karma yuktam ihātmanaḥ | mātulānāṁ tejaso 'strabalasya ca ||

Translation

Darum, o du mit den mächtigen Armen, vollbringe hier die Tat, die deiner eigenen Pflicht und deinem Vorsatz entspricht—eine Tat, die auch dem Glanz und der Kriegskraft deiner mütterlichen Oheime würdig ist. In dieser Bedrängnis soll dein Handeln dem Ehrgefühl deiner Linie und der Stärke deiner Arme entsprechen.

Word by Word

• सः: he/that (one)
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कुरु: do; perform
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कर्म: deed; action
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• युक्तम्: proper; fitting; appropriate
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इह: here; in this matter
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• आत्मनः: of yourself
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• मातुलानाम्: of the maternal uncles
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातुल
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• तेजसः: of splendor; of prowess
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अस्त्रबलस्य: of the strength of weapons; of weapon-power
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्रबल
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

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

Speaker

श्रीवायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Vāyudeva (speaker)
• mahābāhu (addressed hero, unnamed in this verse)
• mātula (maternal uncles, collective reference)
• astra (weapons, as a category)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Act in a way that is yuktam—ethically and situationally appropriate—so that one’s conduct aligns with svadharma (one’s rightful role) and upholds the honour and prowess associated with one’s lineage.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva addresses a warrior-hero, urging him to take decisive, proper action in the present conflict, invoking the reputation and martial strength of the hero’s maternal uncles as a standard to live up to.