Shloka 15

Devanagari script

आर्जवेनापरे युक्ता निहतानार्जवैर्जने: । ऋणजतवो नाकपूृष्े वै शुद्धात्मान: प्रतिष्ठिता:

Transliteration

ārjavena apare yuktā nihatā nārjavair janaiḥ | ṛṇajātavo nākapṛṣṭhe vai śuddhātmānaḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ ||

Translation

«D’autres, doués de droiture et d’une âme pure, furent tués par des hommes sans probité et pleins de ruse ; pourtant, ces âmes limpides furent établies sur les hauteurs du ciel.»

Word by Word

• आर्जवेन: by straightforwardness
• आर्जवेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्जव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• युक्ताः: endowed/connected (with)
• युक्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• निहताः: slain
• निहताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → निहत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अनार्जवैः: by the crooked/insincere (people)
• अनार्जवैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनार्जव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• जनैः: by people
• जनैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• ऋजवः: straightforward (men)
• ऋजवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋजु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नाकपृष्ठे: in heaven (on the heavenly back/firmament)
• नाकपृष्ठे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाकपृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (निपात)

• शुद्धात्मानः: pure-souled (men)
• शुद्धात्मानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रतिष्ठिताः: established/settled
• प्रतिष्ठिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa (speaker)
• nāka (heaven)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that ārjava (straightforward integrity) and inner purity are spiritually efficacious: even if sincere people are harmed by deceitful or crooked persons, their moral quality leads to a higher posthumous state (heavenly establishment).

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa speaker reflects on the fate of simple, honest people who are killed by those lacking integrity, and asserts that the pure-souled nevertheless attain the heavenly realm—framing suffering within an ethical and karmic horizon.