Shloka 15

Devanagari script

आर्जवेनापरे युक्ता निहतानार्जवैर्जने: । ऋणजतवो नाकपूृष्े वै शुद्धात्मान: प्रतिष्ठिता:,कितने ही सरल और शुद्धात्मा पुरुष सरलतासे ही संयुक्त हो कुटिल मनुष्योंद्वारा मारे गये और स्वर्ग-लोकमें प्रतिष्ठित हुए हैं

Transliteration

ārjavena apare yuktā nihatā nārjavair janaiḥ | ṛṇajātavo nākapṛṣṭhe vai śuddhātmānaḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ ||

Translation

„Andere, mit Geradheit begabt und von reiner Seele, wurden von Menschen ohne Rechtschaffenheit, von Listigen, erschlagen; doch jene reinen Seelen wurden auf den Höhen des Himmels fest gegründet.“

Word by Word

आर्जवेनby straightforwardness

अपरेothers

युक्ताःendowed/connected (with)

निहताःslain

अनार्जवैःby the crooked/insincere (people)

जनैःby people

ऋजवःstraightforward (men)

नाकपृष्ठेin heaven (on the heavenly back/firmament)

वैindeed

शुद्धात्मानःpure-souled (men)

प्रतिष्ठिताःestablished/settled

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

brāhmaṇa (speaker)

nāka (heaven)

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that ārjava (straightforward integrity) and inner purity are spiritually efficacious: even if sincere people are harmed by deceitful or crooked persons, their moral quality leads to a higher posthumous state (heavenly establishment).

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa speaker reflects on the fate of simple, honest people who are killed by those lacking integrity, and asserts that the pure-souled nevertheless attain the heavenly realm—framing suffering within an ethical and karmic horizon.