Shloka 41

तुर्वसुश्चोदित: पित्रा द्रुह्युश्चानुश्च भारत । प्रत्याचख्युरधर्मज्ञा ह्यनित्ये नित्यबुद्धय: ॥ ४१ ॥

turvasuś coditaḥ pitrā druhyuś cānuś ca bhārata pratyācakhyur adharmajñā hy anitye nitya-buddhayaḥ

O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Yayāti similarly requested his sons Turvasu, Druhyu and Anu to exchange their youth for his old age, but because they were unaware of religious principles, they thought that their flickering youth was eternal, and therefore they refused to carry out their father’s order.

turvasuḥTurvasu
turvasuḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootturvasu (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
caand
ca:
Nipāta (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormConjunction particle (समुच्चय-निपात)
coditaḥurged/commanded
coditaḥ:
Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootcodita (कृदन्त; √cud चुद्)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); past passive participle (क्त)
pitrāby (his) father
pitrā:
Karaṇa (करण/Agent-instrument in passive)
TypeNoun
Rootpitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन)
druhyuḥDruhyu
druhyuḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdruhyu (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
caand
ca:
Nipāta (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormConjunction particle (समुच्चय-निपात)
anuḥAnu
anuḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootanu (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
caand
ca:
Nipāta (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormConjunction particle (समुच्चय-निपात)
bhārataO Bhārata
bhārata:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootbhārata (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)
pratyācakhyuḥrefused/declined
pratyācakhyuḥ:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootprati-ā-cakṣ (धातु; आचक्ष्)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन); parasmaipada
adharmajñāḥunrighteous/knowing adharma
adharmajñāḥ:
Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootadharma-jña (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘knowers of adharma’ (i.e., unrighteous)
hiindeed
hi:
Nipāta (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
FormEmphatic particle (निपात)
anityein the impermanent
anitye:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootanitya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); used as substantive: ‘in the impermanent (body/world)’
nitya-buddhayaḥthinking the impermanent to be permanent
nitya-buddhayaḥ:
Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootnitya (प्रातिपदिक) + buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); bahuvrīhi: ‘those whose notion is (that it is) permanent’
T
Turvasu
D
Druhyu
A
Anu
Y
Yayāti

FAQs

This verse states that ignorance of dharma leads one to treat the temporary (anitya) as permanent (nitya), which results in wrong choices and refusal to act rightly.

Śukadeva explains that they refused because they were adharmajña—unaware of dharma—and thus acted from a mistaken sense of what truly matters and endures.

Remember that status, pleasure, and possessions are temporary; align decisions with dharma and long-term spiritual benefit rather than short-term gratification.