Shloka 40

Devanagari script

आत्मानं तक्षति होष वनं परशुना यथा । यः सम्यग्वर्तमानेषु मिथ्या राजनू्‌ प्रवर्तते

Transliteration

ātmānaṃ takṣati hoṣa vanaṃ paraśunā yathā | yaḥ samyagvartamāneṣu mithyā rājan pravartate ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O König, wie einer mit der Axt einen Wald fällt, so fällt ein Mensch sein eigenes Selbst, wenn er unter denen, die recht handeln, einen falschen Weg einschlägt.“

Word by Word

• आत्मानम्: oneself
• आत्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तक्षति: cuts, hews
• तक्षति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: तक्ष्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ह: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

• उष: burns
• उष: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उष्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• परशुना: with an axe
• परशुना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परशु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• यथा: as, just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सम्यक्: rightly, properly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक्

• वर्तमानेषु: among those who are acting rightly / in right conduct
• वर्तमानेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्तमान
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

• मिथ्या: falsely, wrongly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मिथ्या

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रवर्तते: acts, proceeds, engages
• प्रवर्तते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वृत्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• rājan (the king, i.e., Janamejaya as addressee)
• paraśu (axe)
• vana (forest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wrong conduct in the midst of right-minded people ultimately harms the doer himself; ethical deviation is self-destructive, like felling a forest with an axe.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues his instruction to the king (Janamejaya), using a vivid simile to warn that choosing a false path—especially when dharma is evident around one—amounts to cutting down one’s own welfare and integrity.