Mahabharata — Adi Parva, Shloka 23

कृपकृपी-जननम्

The Birth of Kṛpa and Kṛpī; Kṛpa’s Attainment of Astras

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचु: अस्ति वै तव धर्मात्मन्‌ विद्यो देवोपमं शुभम्‌

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ—asti vai tava dharmātman vidyo devopamaṃ śubham |

Translation

The sages said: “O righteous one, we perceive for you a blessed destiny—offspring radiant like the gods. By our divine insight we know this to be free from sin. Therefore, O king, strive to obtain the fruit that fortune has already allotted to you.”

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ऊचुः: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• अस्ति: there is / exists
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• तव: of you / your
• तव: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• धर्मात्मन्: O righteous-souled one
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विद्यः: a son/offspring (Vidyá as a proper name or 'offspring')
• विद्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• देवोपमम्: god-like
• देवोपमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवोपम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)
• Dharmātman (addressed righteous king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when a favorable outcome is destined, it should be approached through righteous effort; dharma harmonizes fate (bhāgya) with human striving (prayatna).

What is happening in the narrative?

A group of sages addresses a righteous king, assuring him—based on their spiritual insight—of auspicious, godlike offspring, and urging him to take purposeful action to realize that promised result.