Shloka 36

Genealogies from Purūravas to the Haihayas; Jayadhvaja’s Vaiṣṇava Resolve, Sage-Adjudication, and the Slaying of Videha

Devanagari script

तमब्रवीद् राजपुत्रः कृष्णो मतिमतां वरः / यदर्जुनो ऽस्मज्जनकः स्वधर्मं कृतवानिति

Transliteration

tamabravīd rājaputraḥ kṛṣṇo matimatāṃ varaḥ / yadarjuno 'smajjanakaḥ svadharmaṃ kṛtavāniti

Translation

Then the prince Kṛṣṇa, foremost among the wise, said: “Because Arjuna—our forefather—fulfilled his own svadharma.”

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (Acc/2nd), एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• राज-पुत्रः: the prince
• राज-पुत्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास, पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मति-मताम्: of the intelligent (people)
• मति-मताम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक) + मत् (तद्धित/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (possessive: those who have intellect), पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (Gen/6th), बहुवचन

• वरः: the best
• वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘श्रेष्ठः’ इत्यर्थे

• यत्: that (since/that)
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् (relative particle), अव्ययीभावेन वाक्योपक्रमक (introducing a clause)

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्मत्-जनकः: our father
• अस्मत्-जनकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + जनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (our father), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्व-धर्मम्: his own duty
• स्व-धर्मम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास, पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (Acc/2nd), एकवचन

• कृतवान्: did, performed
• कृतवान्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्तवतुँ (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्तरि कृदन्त (Perfective active participle/क्तवतुँ), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; परोक्षभूतार्थे (having done)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक/उद्धरणचिह्न (quotative particle)

Speaker

Prince Krishna

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Arjuna

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

Indirectly: it emphasizes disciplined action (svadharma) as a purifier of the mind, which in the Purāṇic-Yogic framework prepares one for Self-knowledge rather than defining Ātman explicitly.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse highlights karma aligned with svadharma as a foundational limb of spiritual discipline—ethical action and duty as preparation for higher Yoga (including Pāśupata-oriented restraint and devotion found elsewhere in the Kūrma Purāṇa).

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

Not directly; its dharma emphasis aligns with the Kūrma Purāṇa’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis where right action and devotion are shared means, regardless of whether one approaches Īśvara as Śiva or Viṣṇu.