Shloka 33

Devanagari script

विधर्मिणं धर्मविद्धि: प्रोक्ते तेषां विषोपमम्‌ । जाननू्‌ धर्मार्थतत्त्वज्ञ कि मामर्जुन गर्हसे,धर्म और अर्थका तत्त्व जाननेवाले अर्जुन! जो अपना धर्म छोड़कर परधर्म ग्रहण कर लेता है, उस विधर्मीको धर्मज्ञ पुरुषोंने धर्मात्माओंके लिये विषके तुल्य बताया है। यह सब जानते हुए भी तुम मेरी निन्दा क्यों करते हो?

Transliteration

vidharmiṇaṃ dharmavidbhiḥ prokte teṣāṃ viṣopamam | jānann dharmārthatattvajña kiṃ mām arjuna garhase ||

Translation

Dṛṣṭadyumna said: “Those who know dharma have declared the ‘vidharmī’—one who abandons his own rightful duty and takes up another’s— to be like poison for the truly righteous. O Arjuna, knower of the principles of dharma and artha, even though you understand this, why do you censure me?”

Word by Word

• {'vidharmiṇam': 'a transgressor of dharma

• one who forsakes his own duty and adopts another’s (paradharma)', 'dharmavidbhiḥ': 'by the knowers of dharma', 'prokte': 'has been declared/said', 'teṣām': 'for them

• in their case (i.e., for the dhārmikas/righteous)', 'viṣopamam': 'comparable to poison

• poison-like', 'jānan': 'knowing

• being aware', 'dharmārtha-tattva-jña': 'knower of the true principles/essence of dharma and artha', 'kim': 'why?

• for what reason?', 'mām': 'me', 'arjuna': 'Arjuna (Pāṇḍava hero)', 'garhase': 'you blame/censure/reproach'}

Speaker

धष्टहुम्न उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dṛṣṭadyumna
• Arjuna
• dharma
• artha
• viṣa (poison)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse warns that abandoning one’s own rightful duty (svadharma) to adopt another’s (paradharma) is considered spiritually and ethically dangerous—“like poison”—especially for those committed to righteousness. It frames moral identity as rooted in fidelity to one’s proper role and obligation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dṛṣṭadyumna addresses Arjuna defensively, arguing that Arjuna—who understands dharma and artha—should not reproach him. He invokes the authority of dharma-knowers to justify his stance by condemning ‘vidharma’ (deviation from one’s proper duty).