Shloka 27

अश्रमवासिनां विषादः — Lament in Hastināpura after the Elders’ Forest Withdrawal

Devanagari script

अपापा: पाण्डवा येन निकृता: पापबुद्धिना

Transliteration

apāpāḥ pāṇḍavā yena nikṛtāḥ pāpabuddhinā

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Los Pāṇḍavas —hombres sin pecado— fueron engañados y agraviados por quien tenía la mente empapada de intención malvada.

Word by Word

अपापाःsinless, guiltless

पाण्डवाःthe Pandavas

येनby whom; by which

निकृताःdeceived, wronged, injured

पापबुद्धिनाby (one) of sinful mind; by a wicked-minded (person)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pāṇḍavas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts inner intention with moral status: the Pāṇḍavas are described as 'apāpāḥ' (sinless), while the agent is 'pāpabuddhi' (evil-intentioned). Ethical judgment in the Mahābhārata often hinges on motive and integrity, and deceit (nikṛti) is marked as adharma even when it appears politically effective.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana recalls how the Pāṇḍavas were subjected to treachery—being cheated or wronged by a malicious-minded person—framing their later suffering and the unfolding consequences in the story’s moral arc.