Shloka 12

Devanagari script

काममन्युपरीतास्ते क्रोधहर्षसमन्विता: । मृत्युयानं समारुह्मु गता वैवस्वतक्षयम्‌,वे काम और क्रोधके वशीभूत थे, हर्ष और रोषसे भरे हुए थे, अतः मृत्युरूपी रथपर सवार हो यमलोकमें चले गये

Transliteration

kāmamanyuparītās te krodhaharṣasamanvitāḥ | mṛtyuyānaṃ samāruhya gatā vaivasvatakṣayam ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Overpowered by desire (kāma) and anger (krodha), and carried away by exultation and rage, they mounted the vehicle of Death and went to the abode of Vaivasvata (Yama).”

Word by Word

कामby desire

मन्युपरीताःovercome by wrath

तेthey

क्रोधहर्षसमन्विताःendowed with anger and joy

मृत्युयानम्the vehicle of death

समारुह्यhaving mounted

गताःwent / having gone

वैवस्वतक्षयम्to the abode of Vaivasvata (Yama)

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Vaivasvata (Yama)

mṛtyu-yāna (vehicle/chariot of Death)

Yamaloka (implied by vaivasvatakṣaya)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that when people are dominated by kāma (desire) and krodha/manyu (anger), even moments of triumph (harṣa) become morally blinding; such loss of restraint leads to downfall—symbolized as being carried on Death’s vehicle to Yama’s realm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira describes certain persons (contextually, those acting under violent passions) as departing this world: driven by desire and anger, they metaphorically ‘mount’ Death’s conveyance and reach Vaivasvata’s abode, i.e., the realm of Yama.