Shloka 36

Devanagari script

मौख्याद्‌ येन पिता वृद्ध: प्रत्याख्यातो जनार्दन । तथा माता हित॑ वाक्‍्यं भाषमाणा हितैषिणी

Transliteration

maukhyād yena pitā vṛddhaḥ pratyākhyāto janārdana | tathā mātā hitaṃ vākyaṃ bhāṣamāṇā hitaiṣiṇī ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O Janārdana, through sheer folly he repudiated his aged father; and likewise he rejected the wholesome counsel spoken by his mother, who wished only his good.”

Word by Word

मौख्यात्from folly / due to foolishness

येनby whom / by which

पिताfather

वृद्धःaged, old

प्रत्याख्यातःrejected, repudiated

जनार्दनO Janardana (Krishna)

तथाthus, likewise

माताmother

हितम्beneficial, good

वाक्यम्speech, word, statement

भाषमाणाspeaking, uttering

हितैषिणीwell-wishing, seeking (your) good

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa)

father (aged)

mother (well-wisher)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse condemns ‘maukhyā’—foolish obstinacy—that leads one to reject the rightful authority and benevolent guidance of parents. Ethically, it highlights dharma as reverence toward elders and receptivity to well-intended counsel, especially when it aims at one’s welfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya addresses Kṛṣṇa (Janārdana) and characterizes a person’s misconduct: he spurned his aged father and also dismissed his mother’s beneficial advice, even though she spoke as a sincere well-wisher. The line functions as moral diagnosis of the person’s downfall—willful rejection of good counsel.