Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अकर्मणां वै भूतानां वृत्ति: स्यान्न हि काचन | तदेवाभिप्रपद्येत न विहन्यात्‌ कदाचन,कर्म न करनेवाले प्राणियोंकी कोई जीविका भी सिद्ध नहीं होती। अतः: (प्रारब्धका भरोसा करके) कभी कर्मका परित्याग न करे। सदा कर्मका ही आश्रय ले

Transliteration

akarmaṇāṃ vai bhūtānāṃ vṛttiḥ syān na hi kācanā | tadevābhiprapadyeta na vihanyāt kadācana ||

Translation

For beings who do not act, no livelihood can truly come to be. Therefore one should never abandon action by relying on fate alone; rather, one should continually take refuge in purposeful work.

Word by Word

अकर्मणाम्of non-acting (beings)

वैindeed

भूतानाम्of beings/creatures

वृत्तिःlivelihood/means of subsistence

स्यात्would be / could exist

नnot

हिfor/indeed

काचनany (at all)

तत्that

एवonly/just

अभिप्रपद्येतshould resort to / should take refuge in

नnot

विहन्यात्should abandon/destroy (i.e., should not give up)

कदाचनever/at any time

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sustenance and moral order depend on action; therefore one should not renounce effort by leaning on destiny alone, but should uphold one’s duties through continued work.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira articulates a dharma-based principle: inactivity cannot sustain life, so a person should not abandon prescribed action, emphasizing responsible effort within the broader Vana Parva discussions on conduct and duty.