Shloka 77

Devanagari script

यक्ष उवाच कि नु हित्वा प्रियो भवति कि नु हित्वा न शोचति । कि नु हित्वार्थवान्‌ भवति कि नु हित्वा सुखी भवेत्‌,यक्षने पूछा--किस वस्तुको त्यागकर मनुष्य प्रिय होता है? किसको त्यागकर शोक नहीं करता? किसको त्यागकर वह अर्थवान्‌ होता है? और किसको त्यागकर सुखी होता है?

Transliteration

yakṣa uvāca: ki nu hitvā priyo bhavati? ki nu hitvā na śocati? ki nu hitvā arthavān bhavati? ki nu hitvā sukhī bhavet?

Translation

The Yakṣa said: “By abandoning what does a person become dear to others? By abandoning what does one grieve no more? By abandoning what does one become truly prosperous? And by abandoning what does one become happy?”

Word by Word

यक्षःthe Yaksha

उवाचsaid

किम्what

नुindeed/then (interrogative particle)

हित्वाhaving abandoned

प्रियःdear/liked

भवतिbecomes

किम्what

नुindeed/then

हित्वाhaving abandoned

नnot

शोचतिgrieves

किम्what

नुindeed/then

हित्वाhaving abandoned

अर्थवान्wealthy/prosperous

भवतिbecomes

किम्what

नुindeed/then

हित्वाhaving abandoned

सुखीhappy

भवेत्would become/might become

Speaker

यक्ष उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yakṣa

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?

The verse frames a moral inquiry around renunciation: it suggests that social harmony (being dear), freedom from sorrow, meaningful prosperity (artha), and happiness arise not merely from acquiring things but from giving up specific inner faults—setting the stage for answers that emphasize abandoning anger, desire, greed, and similar causes of suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Yakṣa–Yudhiṣṭhira dialogue at the forest lake, the Yakṣa tests the hero through a sequence of probing questions. This verse is one such fourfold question, asking what must be relinquished to gain affection, freedom from grief, prosperity, and happiness.