Shloka 1

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 3 — Sātyaki on Inner Disposition, Legitimacy, and Coercive Readiness

Devanagari script

अपन बछ। है २ >> तृतीयो<ध्याय: सात्यकिके वीरोचित उद्गार सात्यकिर॒ुवाच यादृश: पुरुषस्यात्मा तादृशं सम्प्रभाषते । यथारूपो<न्तरात्मा ते तथारूप॑ प्रभाषसे,सात्यकिने कहा--बलरामजी! मनुष्यका जैसा हृदय होता है, वैसी ही बात उसके मुखसे निकलती है। आपका भी जैसा अन्तःकरण है, वैसा ही आप भाषण दे रहे हैं

Transliteration

sātyakir uvāca | yādṛśaḥ puruṣasyātmā tādṛśaṃ samprabhāṣate | yathārūpo 'ntarātmā te tathārūpaṃ prabhāṣase |

Translation

Sātyaki said: “As a man’s inner self is, so does he speak. Whatever the form of one’s inward mind, speech follows that form. So too, your words reflect exactly the nature of your own inner disposition.”

Word by Word

• {'yādṛśaḥ': 'of what kind

• as is', 'puruṣasya': 'of a person, of a man', 'ātmā': 'self

• here: inner disposition/heart', 'tādṛśam': 'of that kind

• corresponding to it', 'samprabhāṣate': 'speaks forth

• expresses (oneself) clearly', 'yathārūpaḥ': 'having such a form/nature

• as is the character', 'antarātmā': 'inner self

• inward mind', 'te': 'your', 'tathārūpam': 'just so

• in the same manner/nature', 'prabhāṣase': 'you speak

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sātyaki
• Balarāma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Speech is an outward sign of the inner self: a person’s words naturally reveal the quality of their mind and character, so ethical self-cultivation must begin inwardly.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s lead-up to war, Sātyaki addresses Balarāma, remarking that Balarāma’s statements are consistent with (and therefore disclose) his inner disposition.