Shloka 50

Devanagari script

मुहूर्त सुखमेवैतत्‌ तालच्छायेव हैमनी । यजध्वं च महायज्ञजैभोंगानश्रीत दत्त च

Transliteration

muhūrta-sukham evaitat tāla-chāyeva haimanī | yajadhvaṃ ca mahā-yajñaiḥ bhogān aśnīta datta ca |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “This happiness is only momentary—like the fleeting shade of a palmyra tree in winter. Therefore, perform great sacrifices; enjoy your rightful pleasures, and also give in charity.”

Word by Word

• मुहूर्त: for a moment / momentary
• मुहूर्त: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुखम्: happiness, comfort
• सुखम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed, only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तालच्छाया: the shade of a palmyra tree
• तालच्छाया: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तालच्छाया
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• हैमनी: in winter / wintry
• हैमनी: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हैमनी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• यजध्वम्: you all perform sacrifice
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Plural, Parasmaipada

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• महायज्ञ: in/at the great sacrifice
• महायज्ञ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महायज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• एभ्यः: from these
• एभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Plural

• भोगान्: enjoyments, pleasures
• भोगान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• आश्रिताः: having resorted to / dependent on
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दत्त: given / bestowed
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Worldly happiness is transient; therefore one should not cling to it. The verse urges a dharmic response to impermanence: uphold sacred duties (yajña), partake of legitimate enjoyments without excess, and practice generosity (dāna).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana delivers a reflective instruction emphasizing the short-lived nature of pleasure, using a simile of fleeting shade, and then exhorts the audience to engage in great sacrificial rites, enjoy appropriately, and give in charity—framing conduct in terms of dharma.