Shloka 21

Kāma–Mamatā–Upadeśa

Discourse on Desire, Possessiveness, and Ritual Duty

Devanagari script

मा ते व्यथास्तु निहतान्‌ बन्धून्‌ वीक्ष्य पुनः पुनः । न शक्यास्ते पुनर्द्र्ट ये हता5स्मिन्‌ रणाजिरे

Transliteration

mā te vyathāstu nihatān bandhūn vīkṣya punaḥ punaḥ | na śakyās te punar draṣṭuṁ ye hatā'smin raṇājire ||

Translation

Janganlah engkau berduka dengan memandang berulang-ulang sanak-kerabatmu yang gugur. Mereka yang tewas di medan laga ini tak mungkin terlihat kembali.

Word by Word

• मा: do not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा
• Form: Prohibitive particle (used with imperative/optative)

• ते: to you / your
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Genitive singular (also possible dative singular by form; here genitive: 'of you/your')

• व्यथा: distress, pain
• व्यथा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यथा
• Form: Feminine, nominative singular

• अस्तु: let there be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipada

• निहतान्: slain, killed
• निहतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: Masculine, accusative plural; past passive participle (क्त)

• बन्धून्: kinsmen, relatives
• बन्धून्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्धु
• Form: Masculine, accusative plural

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ईक्ष्
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, ल्यप्)

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः
• Form: Adverb

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः
• Form: Adverb

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न
• Form: Negation

• शक्याः: possible, able to be
• शक्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य
• Form: Masculine, nominative plural; potential passive participle (यत्)

• ते: by you
• ते: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Instrumental singular (also possible dative singular by form; here instrumental: 'by you')

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः
• Form: Adverb

• द्रष्टुम्: to see
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्)

• ये: who, those who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, nominative plural (relative pronoun)

• हताः: slain
• हताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन्
• Form: Masculine, nominative plural; past passive participle (क्त)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, locative singular

• रणाजिरे: on the battlefield
• रणाजिरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रणाजिर
• Form: Masculine, locative singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva
• bandhu (kinsmen/relatives)
• raṇājira (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse urges restraint of grief through acceptance of irreversibility: death on the battlefield is final, and repeatedly revisiting the sight of the slain only deepens suffering. Ethically, it points toward steadiness of mind and recognition of impermanence amid the consequences of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva addresses a grieving listener who is repeatedly looking at fallen relatives after a battle. He offers consolation by stating that those killed in this war-arena cannot be seen again, encouraging the person to cease obsessive mourning and move forward.