Shloka 37

Devanagari script

त्वं तु शुक्लाभिजातीय: परदोषेण कारित: । अनिच्छमान: कर्मेदं कृत्वा च परितप्यसे,तुम तो जन्मसे ही शुद्ध स्वभावके हो। तुम्हारे मनमें युद्धकी इच्छा बिलकुल नहीं थी। शत्रुओंके अपराधसे ही तुम्हें इस कार्यमें प्रवृत्त होना पड़ा। तुम यह युद्धकर्म करके भी निरन्तर पश्चात्ताप ही कर रहे हो

Transliteration

tvaṃ tu śuklābhijātīyaḥ paradoṣeṇa kāritaḥ | anicchamānaḥ karmedaṃ kṛtvā ca paritapyase ||

Translation

Engkau sejak lahir berwatak suci dan mulia. Hanya karena kesalahan musuhlah engkau terdorong menempuh jalan ini. Tanpa hasrat untuk berperang pun engkau telah melakukan perbuatan perang itu—dan setelah melakukannya, engkau tetap terbakar oleh penyesalan.

Word by Word

त्वम्you

तुbut/indeed

शुक्लाभिजातीयःof pure/noble birth (pure-natured)

परदोषेणby another's fault

कारितःmade to act/impelled

अनिच्छमानःnot wishing, unwilling

कर्मact/deed

इदम्this

कृत्वाhaving done

चand

परितप्यसेyou grieve/repent, are tormented

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

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?

Moral agency is shaped by both inner disposition and external provocation: a person of pure intent may be forced into harsh action by others’ wrongdoing, yet still feel ethical pain afterward. The verse highlights the tension between necessary duty and the lingering remorse that follows violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa addresses a warrior figure, characterizing him as naturally pure and unwilling to fight. He explains that the war-action occurred not from personal desire but because the opponents’ faults compelled it, and that the speaker’s addressee continues to repent even after performing the deed.