Shloka 4

Sanatsujāta–Dhṛtarāṣṭra Saṃvāda: Brahmacarya and the Formless Brahman

Udyoga Parva 44

Devanagari script

सम्भोगसंविद्‌ विषमो5तिमानी दत्त्वा विकत्थी कृपणो दुर्बलश्न । बहुप्रशंसी वन्दितद्विट्‌ सदैव सप्तैवोक्ता: पापशीला नृशंसा:

Transliteration

sambhogasaṃvid viṣamo 'timānī dattvā vikatthī kṛpaṇo durbalaś ca | bahupraśaṃsī vanditadvit sadaiva saptaivoktāḥ pāpaśīlā nṛśaṃsāḥ ||

Translation

Sanatsujāta sprach: Wer seinen Geist auf sinnlichen Genuss richtet; wer krumm und ungleich in seinem Wandel ist; wer übermäßig stolz ist; wer Gaben nur gibt, um damit zu prahlen; wer geizig ist; wer, obgleich schwach, doch lautstark prahlt; und wer stets Hass gegen die Geehrten und Würdigen trägt — diese sieben Arten von Menschen werden als sündhaft im Wesen und grausam im Herzen bezeichnet.

Word by Word

• सम्भोगसंवित्: one whose mind/understanding is set on enjoyment
• सम्भोगसंवित्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्भोगसंविद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विषमः: unequal, perverse
• विषमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अतिमानी: over-proud, arrogant
• अतिमानी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिमानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा)

• विकत्थी: boastful (self-lauding)
• विकत्थी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकत्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृपणः: miserly, mean
• कृपणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दुर्बलः: weak, powerless
• दुर्बलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्नः: unclear reading (possibly corruption/variant)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्न (अनिश्चित/पाठभेद)

• बहुप्रशंसी: one who praises himself much / given to much self-praise
• बहुप्रशंसी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुप्रशंसिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वन्दित: in/with regard to the honored (persons)
• वन्दित: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन्दित (कृदन्त; √वन्द्)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• द्विट्: hater, one who bears enmity
• द्विट्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विष् (प्रातिपदिक: द्विट्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सदैव: always indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा + एव

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एव: only, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• उक्ताः: are said/called
• Type: Verb
• Root: उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पापशीला: of sinful disposition
• पापशीला: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापशील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नृशंसाः: cruel, ruthless
• नृशंसाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नृशंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

सनत्युजात उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanatsujāta

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sanatsujāta identifies seven traits that mark a person as morally fallen and cruel: attachment to sensual pleasure, crookedness/unfairness, excessive pride, boasting after giving, miserliness, loud self-importance despite weakness, and habitual hatred of the truly honored. The teaching urges inner integrity—generosity without vanity, humility, and respect for the virtuous.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s Sanatsujātīya discourse, Sanatsujāta instructs Dhṛtarāṣṭra on ethical and spiritual conduct. This verse is part of his moral diagnosis, listing destructive character-types that lead to sin and social harm, thereby warning the king against such dispositions in himself and his court.