Shloka 27

अध्याय ३० — क्रोधदोषाः क्षमाप्रशंसा च

Defects of Anger and the Praise of Forbearance

Devanagari script

धातुरादेशमन्वेति तन्मयो हि तदर्पण: । नात्माधीनो मनुष्यो5यं कालं भजति कंचन

Transliteration

dhātur ādeśam anveti tan-mayo hi tad-arpaṇaḥ | nātmādhīno manuṣyo 'yaṃ kālaṃ bhajati kaṃcana ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Manusia mengikuti titah Sang Pencipta (Dhātā); sebab ia dibentuk oleh ketetapan itu sendiri dan seakan dipersembahkan ke dalamnya. Manusia ini bukan tuan atas dirinya; ia harus tunduk kepada Kāla (Waktu), apa pun yang dibawanya.”

Word by Word

धातुःthe constituent element / nature (basic element)

आदेशम्command; ordinance; (appointed) course

अन्वेतिfollows; goes after

तत्that

मयःconsisting of; made of

हिindeed; for

तत्that

अर्पणःoffering; dedicating; surrendering

नnot

आत्माधीनःdependent on oneself; self-controlled

मनुष्यःa man; human being

अयम्this

कालम्time; fate

भजतिresorts to; partakes of; submits to

कञ्चनanyone (at all)

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Dhātu (the Creator/Ordainer)

Kāla (Time)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Human agency is limited: people are shaped by the Creator’s ordinance and ultimately must submit to Kāla (Time). The verse frames ethical endurance—accepting what cannot be controlled—without abandoning dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on the power of destiny/Time over human life, expressing a sober, dharma-grounded acceptance that events unfold according to a higher order rather than personal control.