Shloka 40

Devanagari script

एकस्यार्थे बहून्‌ हत्वा पुत्रस्याधर्मविद्यया । स्वकर्मस्थान्‌ विकर्मस्थो न व्यपत्रपसे कथम्‌,“आप अपने एक पुत्रकी जीविकाके लिये विपरीत कर्मका आश्रय ले इस पाप-विद्याके द्वारा स्वधर्मपरायण बहुसंख्यक क्षत्रियोंका वध करके लज्जित कैसे नहीं हो रहे हैं?

Transliteration

ekasyārthe bahūn hatvā putrasyādharmavidyayā | svakarmasthān vikarmastho na vyapatrapase katham ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “For the sake of a single son, having slain many—by means of an unrighteous art—how is it that you, standing in wrongful action, feel no shame after killing so many kṣatriyas who were steadfast in their own duty?”

Word by Word

एकस्यof one (for one)

अर्थेfor the sake/purpose

बहून्many

हत्वाhaving slain/killed

पुत्रस्यof (your) son

अधर्मविद्ययाby the unrighteous/impious art (knowledge)

स्वकर्मस्थान्those abiding in their own duty

विकर्मस्थःstanding in wrongful action

नnot

व्यपत्रपसेyou feel ashamed/you are abashed

कथम्how?

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

putra (son)

kṣatriyas (implied by context: warriors steadfast in svadharma)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse condemns abandoning svadharma and resorting to vikarma—morally inverted action—out of personal attachment (here, for a son). It frames shame (vyapatrāpya) as a moral indicator: when one commits adharma through a blameworthy stratagem, the absence of shame signals ethical collapse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a rebuke directed at a warrior who, to secure the welfare/survival of his son, has used an ‘adharmic’ means and thereby killed many duty-bound kṣatriyas. The speaker highlights the disproportion (many slain for one) and questions how the agent can remain unashamed while acting contrary to righteous conduct.