Shloka 243

Devanagari script

दिष्ट्या मे विपुला लक्ष्मीमृते त्वन्यगता विभो । “विधिवत्‌ वेदोंका स्वाध्याय किया

Transliteration

diṣṭyā me vipulā lakṣmī mṛte tv anyagatā vibho |

Translation

Sañjaya said: “By good fortune, the vast royal prosperity that was mine has passed to another only after my death, O mighty one. I performed Vedic study in due rite, gave gifts of many kinds, and attained a life free from disease. Beyond this, by my dharma I won victory over the worlds of merit. Who could have had an end better than mine? By good fortune I was never defeated in battle, nor did I ever seek refuge with enemies like a slave. By good fortune, great sovereignty and royal fortune remained under my authority, departing to others only when I was gone.”

Word by Word

• दिष्ट्या: fortunately; by good luck
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिष्टि
• Form: Avyaya (instrumental sense: 'by good fortune')

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, singular

• विपुला: vast; abundant
• विपुला: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल
• Form: Feminine, nominative, singular

• लक्ष्मीः: fortune; royal prosperity
• लक्ष्मीः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी
• Form: Feminine, nominative, singular

• मृते: when dead; after death
• मृते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत
• Form: Masculine, locative, singular (used absolutely: 'when (I am) dead')

• त्वत्: from you; than you
• त्वत्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Ablative, singular

• अन्यगता: gone to another (person)
• अन्यगता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य-गत
• Form: Feminine, nominative, singular (agreeing with लक्ष्मीः); past participle of √गम्

• विभो: O mighty one; O lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु
• Form: Masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Lakṣmī (royal fortune/prosperity)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage frames an idealized self-assessment of a ruler: prosperity is valued, but it is legitimized by dharma—proper Vedic discipline, generosity, healthful living, and honorable conduct in war. True ‘good fortune’ is portrayed as having wealth and sovereignty without moral compromise, and leaving them only at death.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a speech (a reflective boast) in which the speaker recounts a life of ritual study, varied gifts, and success in battle, claiming an exemplary end: never defeated, never forced into humiliating dependence on enemies, and retaining royal fortune until death.