Shloka 40

Devanagari script

एकस्यार्थे बहून्‌ हत्वा पुत्रस्याधर्मविद्यया । स्वकर्मस्थान्‌ विकर्मस्थो न व्यपत्रपसे कथम्‌,“आप अपने एक पुत्रकी जीविकाके लिये विपरीत कर्मका आश्रय ले इस पाप-विद्याके द्वारा स्वधर्मपरायण बहुसंख्यक क्षत्रियोंका वध करके लज्जित कैसे नहीं हो रहे हैं?

Transliteration

ekasyārthe bahūn hatvā putrasyādharmavidyayā | svakarmasthān vikarmastho na vyapatrapase katham ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : «Pour un seul fils, après avoir tué tant d’hommes par un art injuste, comment toi, établi dans l’action dévoyée, ne ressens-tu aucune honte après avoir abattu tant de kṣatriyas fidèles à leur propre devoir ?»

Word by Word

एकस्यof one (for one)

अर्थेfor the sake/purpose

बहून्many

हत्वाhaving slain/killed

पुत्रस्यof (your) son

अधर्मविद्ययाby the unrighteous/impious art (knowledge)

स्वकर्मस्थान्those abiding in their own duty

विकर्मस्थःstanding in wrongful action

नnot

व्यपत्रपसेyou feel ashamed/you are abashed

कथम्how?

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

putra (son)

kṣatriyas (implied by context: warriors steadfast in svadharma)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse condemns abandoning svadharma and resorting to vikarma—morally inverted action—out of personal attachment (here, for a son). It frames shame (vyapatrāpya) as a moral indicator: when one commits adharma through a blameworthy stratagem, the absence of shame signals ethical collapse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a rebuke directed at a warrior who, to secure the welfare/survival of his son, has used an ‘adharmic’ means and thereby killed many duty-bound kṣatriyas. The speaker highlights the disproportion (many slain for one) and questions how the agent can remain unashamed while acting contrary to righteous conduct.