Shloka 1

Devanagari script

/ अपर बक। ] अत्णऑकाड त्रेषष्ट्याधिकशततमोब<् ध्याय: युधिष्ठटिरका विद्या

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca:

Nābhāgadheyaḥ prāpnoti dhanaṃ subalavān api |

Bhāgadheyānvitastv arthān kṛśo bālaś ca vindati ||

Translation

Dijo Yudhiṣṭhira: Aun un hombre de gran fuerza no obtiene riqueza si carece de la porción que le concede el destino. En cambio, quien va acompañado por la buena fortuna alcanza prosperidad, aunque sea débil y apenas un niño.

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निपात)

• भागधेयः: one with (good) fortune; the fortunate man
• भागधेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भागधेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्राप्नोति: obtains
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: Present (Laṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सुबलवान्: very strong
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-बलवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: even/though
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (निपात)

• भागधेय-अन्वितः: endowed with fortune
• भागधेय-अन्वितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भागधेय + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (निपात)

• अर्थान्: wealth/means (objects of value)
• अर्थान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• कृशः: thin/weak
• कृशः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बालः: a child
• बालः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (निपात)

• विन्दति: finds/obtains
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (लभे/विन्दति) (धातु)
• Form: Present (Laṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts personal power with bhāgadheya (one’s allotted fortune), suggesting that worldly success like wealth often depends on destiny; it sets up a dharmic inquiry into how far effort, strength, and intelligence can overcome fate.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira questions Bhīṣma about the apparent supremacy of fortune: why the strong may fail to gain wealth while the weak may prosper, prompting Bhīṣma’s forthcoming explanation.