Shloka 28

Yudhiṣṭhira’s Remorse and Vyāsa’s Teaching on Impermanence (Śoka-nivāraṇa)

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच अतिवेलं महाराज न शोकं कर्तुमहसि

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca: ativelaṃ mahārāja na śokaṃ kartum arhasi

Translation

Vyāsa said: “O great king, you should not give yourself over to grief beyond measure.”

Word by Word

• व्यासः: Vyasa
• व्यासः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular

• अतिवेलम्: too long; beyond due measure
• अतिवेलम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतिवेल

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• शोकम्: grief
• शोकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कर्तुम्: to do; to make
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Infinitive (Tumun)

• अर्हसि: you ought; you should
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह्
• Form: Present, Second, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Mahārāja (the king being addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Grief must be governed by measure and discernment; a king, especially, is urged to practice restraint and return to dharma-guided steadiness rather than prolonged lamentation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa addresses the king directly, offering consolatory instruction and urging him to stop excessive mourning, setting a tone of ethical counsel and inner discipline characteristic of the Śānti Parva.