Shloka 31

Samrāt-Lakṣaṇa and the Counsel to Check Jarāsandha (सम्राट्-लक्षणं जरासन्ध-प्रतिबाधा-परामर्शः)

Devanagari script

अस्ति:ः प्राप्तिश्न नाम्ना ते सहदेवानुजेडबले । बलेन तेन स्वज्ञातीनभिभूय वृथामति:

Transliteration

astiḥ prāptiś ca nāmnā te sahadevānuje bale | balena tena svajñātīn abhibhūya vṛthāmatiḥ ||

Translation

Śrī Kṛṣṇa dijo: «Tenéis a un hombre llamado Asti y a otro llamado Prāpti—ambos hermanos menores de Sahadeva—que son fuertes. Pero, apoyándose en esa fuerza, él somete a sus propios parientes y se extravía, volviéndose vana su facultad de juicio».

Word by Word

• अस्ति: there is / exists
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, एकवचन

• प्राप्तिश्नः: Prāptiśna (a person’s name)
• प्राप्तिश्नः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राप्तिश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• सहदेव: of Sahadeva
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• अनुजः: younger brother
• अनुजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अबलः: weak / powerless
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अबल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बलेन: by strength
• बलेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• स्व: one’s own
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• ज्ञातीन्: kinsmen / relatives
• ज्ञातीन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अभिभूय: having overpowered
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (ल्यप्), कर्तरि

• वृथा: in vain / uselessly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)

• अमतिः: folly / bad understanding
• अमतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Asti
• Prāpti
• Sahadeva
• svajñāti (kinsmen/relatives)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Strength (bala) is not a license to oppress one’s own people; when power is used to subdue kinsmen, it leads to vṛthā-mati—vain, misguided judgment—contrary to dharma and responsible conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śrī Kṛṣṇa identifies individuals by name (Asti and Prāpti), describing them as strong and connected to Sahadeva, and then critiques the ethical failure that arises when such strength is turned against one’s own relatives.