Shloka 16

Devanagari script

उन्मत्तान्‌ मन्यते बाल: सर्वानागतनिश्चयान्‌ | धर्माभिशड्को नान्यस्मात्‌ प्रमाणमधिगच्छति,धर्मके विषयमें संशय रखनेवाला बालबुद्धि मानव जिन्हें धर्मके तत्त्वका निश्चय हो गया है, उन समस्त ज्ञानीजनोंको उन्मत्त समझता है; अतः वह बालबुद्धि दूसरे किसीसे कोई शास्त्र-प्रमाण नहीं ग्रहण करता

Transliteration

unmattān manyate bālaḥ sarvān āgata-niścayān | dharmābhiśaṅko nānyasmāt pramāṇam adhigacchati ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “A childish person, doubting dharma, regards all those who have arrived at firm conviction about its truth as if they were mad. Therefore, with his immature understanding, he accepts no authoritative proof or testimony from anyone else regarding dharma.”

Word by Word

उन्मत्तान्mad, insane (as objects of thinking)

मन्यतेthinks, considers

बालःa child; a foolish person

सर्वान्all

आगत-निश्चयान्those who have reached a settled conclusion

धर्म-अभिशङ्कःone who suspects/doubts dharma

नnot

अन्यस्मात्from another (source/person)

प्रमाणम्proof; valid authority

अधिगच्छतिobtains; accepts; comes to (as authority)

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moral skepticism combined with immaturity leads a person to dismiss the wise as irrational and to reject valid sources of knowledge (pramāṇa) about dharma; humility and receptivity to authority and reason are necessary for ethical understanding.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira is articulating a reflection on how a doubter of dharma behaves: he misjudges those who are settled in dharma and refuses to accept guidance or authoritative testimony, highlighting a barrier to learning and right conduct.