Shloka 29

Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament for Karṇa and Renunciation-Oriented Self-Assessment (शोक-प्रलापः / त्याग-प्रवृत्तिः)

Devanagari script

अनियम्याशुचिं लुब्ध॑ पुत्र कामवशानुगम्‌ । यशस: पतितो दीप्ताद्‌ घातयित्वा सहोदरान्‌,वे अपने अपवित्र आचार-विचारवाले, लोभी एवं कामासक्त पुत्रको काबूमें न रखनेके कारण उसका तथा उसके सहोदर भाइयोंका वध करवाकर स्वयं भी उज्ज्वल यशसे भ्रष्ट हो गये

Transliteration

aniyamyāśuciṁ lubdhaṁ putraṁ kāmavaśānugam | yaśasaḥ patito dīptād ghātayitvā sahodarān ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Because he failed to restrain his son—impure in conduct, greedy, and driven by lust—he had the son and his own brothers slain; and by that deed he himself fell away from his once-brilliant fame.”

Word by Word

• अनियम्य: not restraining / having failed to restrain
• अनियम्य: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन् + यम् (धातु) → अ-नियम्य (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपद-भावार्थ (non-finite)

• अशुचिम्: impure
• अशुचिम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• लुब्धम्: greedy
• लुब्धम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लुब्ध (प्रातिपदिक; लुभ् धातु से निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पुत्रम्: son
• पुत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कामवशानुगम्: following the sway of desire
• कामवशानुगम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम-वश-अनुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यशसः: of fame / from fame
• यशसः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यशस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• पतितः: fallen
• पतितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतित (प्रातिपदिक; पत् धातु से क्त)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दीप्तात्: from the shining (state) / from brilliance
• दीप्तात्: Apadana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्त (प्रातिपदिक; दीप् धातु से क्त)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• घातयित्वा: having caused to be slain
• घातयित्वा: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: घातयितुम् (णिच्) ← हन् (धातु) → घातयित्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपद-भावार्थ (causative sense)

• सहोदरान्: brothers (born of the same mother)
• सहोदरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहोदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• son (putra)
• brothers (sahodara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Unchecked desire and greed—especially in one’s own child—can drive a ruler into adharma. Failure to discipline leads to catastrophic, kin-destroying choices and the loss of hard-won reputation (yaśas).

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on a cautionary example: a man, unable to restrain his lust-driven, impure, greedy son, ends up arranging the killing of that son and even his own brothers, thereby ruining his formerly radiant fame.