Shloka 31

Devanagari script

यक्ष उवाच कि विघातेन ते पार्थ प्रश्नानुकत्वा ततः पिब

Transliteration

yakṣa uvāca: kiṁ vighātena te pārtha? praśnān uktvā tataḥ piba.

Translation

The Yakṣa said: “O Pārtha, what is the use of this struggle for you? First answer the questions; then drink.”

Word by Word

• यक्षः: the Yaksha
• यक्षः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विघातेन: by obstruction / with hindrance
• विघातेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघात
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• पार्थ: O Partha (Arjuna/Yudhishthira)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रश्नान्: questions
• प्रश्नान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अनुकृत्वा: having answered / having complied (lit. having done accordingly)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + कृ
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा), Parasmaipada (usage)

• ततः: then / thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• पिब: drink
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular

Speaker

यक्ष उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yakṣa
• Pārtha (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Right action must be guided by restraint and discernment: one should not seize what is forbidden or act by force, but respond with truthful, thoughtful speech and follow the moral condition set by dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

At the lake where the Pāṇḍavas have fallen after drinking against a warning, the Yakṣa confronts Pārtha (Yudhiṣṭhira) and insists that he must first answer a series of questions; only then may he drink—setting up the famous Yakṣa-prashna dialogue.