Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

युधिछ्िर उवाच असतां कीदृशं रूपं साधव: किं च कुर्वते । ब्रवीतु मे भवानेतत्‌ सनन्‍्तो5सन्तश्न॒ कीदृशा:

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | asatāṁ kīdṛśaṁ rūpaṁ sādhavaḥ kiṁ ca kurvate | bravītu me bhavān etat santo ’santaś ca kīdṛśāḥ ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “What is the nature and outward character of the wicked? And what deeds do the virtuous perform? Please tell me this clearly—what are the distinguishing marks of the good and of the bad?”

Word by Word

• {'yudhiṣṭhira uvāca': 'Yudhiṣṭhira said', 'asatām': 'of the wicked

• of the unvirtuous (genitive plural)', 'kīdṛśam': 'of what kind? what sort?', 'rūpam': 'form

• nature', 'sādhavaḥ': 'the virtuous

• the righteous (plural)', 'kim': 'what?', 'ca': 'and', 'kurvate': 'they do

• they perform', 'bravītu': 'may (you) tell

• please say (imperative/optative sense)', 'me': 'to me

• for me', 'bhavān': 'your honor

• revered sir (respectful ‘you’)', 'etat': 'this', 'santaḥ': 'the good

• the noble (plural)', 'asantaḥ': 'the not-good

• the wicked (plural)', 'kīdṛśāḥ': 'of what kind? what are they like? (plural)'}

Speaker

युधिछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharma-inquiry: ethical life requires discernment of character. Yudhiṣṭhira asks for clear criteria to distinguish the virtuous (santaḥ/sādhavaḥ) from the wicked (asantaḥ/asatām), emphasizing that morality is known through both inner nature and observable conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused setting, Yudhiṣṭhira respectfully questions an elder authority (implied by context) to obtain guidance on how to recognize and evaluate people—asking what the wicked are like, what the virtuous do, and how to tell the two apart.