Shloka 20

Devanagari script

स्वभावस्तु प्रयात्यग्रे प्रभवन्त्यशनान्यपि । दन्द्वानि च विरुद्धानि तानि सर्वाण्यचिन्तयन्‌,स्वभाव आगे-आगे चलता है, भोजन भी अपने-आप प्रकट हो जाते हैं, सर्दी-गर्मी आदि जो परस्पर विरोधी द्वन्द् हैं; वे सब आते-जाते रहते हैं, अत: इन सबकी चिन्ता छोड़ दूँगा

Transliteration

svabhāvas tu prayāty agre prabhavanty aśanāny api | dvandvāni ca viruddhāni tāni sarvāṇy acintayan |

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “One’s own nature moves on in front, leading the way; even food appears of itself. The opposing pairs—such as cold and heat—keep coming and going. Therefore, I will cease worrying about all these.”

Word by Word

स्वभावःnature, inherent disposition

तुbut, indeed

प्रयातिgoes forth, proceeds

अग्रेin front, ahead

प्रभवन्तिarise, come into being, appear

अशनानिfoods, eatables

अपिalso, even

द्वन्द्वानिpairs of opposites, conflicts

चand

विरुद्धानिopposed, contradictory

तानिthose (things)

सर्वाणिall

अचिन्तयन्not thinking (about), disregarding

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

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 equanimity toward life’s inevitable opposites (dvandvas). Since events arise according to the natural order (svabhāva) and pass away, one should reduce anxious preoccupation and cultivate steadiness of mind.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s reflective discourse after the war, Yudhiṣṭhira voices a resolve to stop worrying about fluctuating conditions—like the coming and going of cold and heat—and to accept the unfolding of circumstances as part of nature’s course.