Shloka 3

Devanagari script

क्षेम्यश्नैकाकिना गम्य: पन्था: को<स्तीति पृच्छ माम्‌ | अथवा नेच्छसि प्रष्टमपृच्छन्नपि मे शूणु,एकाकी पुरुषके चलनेयोग्य कल्याणकारी मार्ग कौन-सा है? यह मुझसे पूछो अथवा यदि पूछना नहीं चाहते हो तो बिना पूछे भी मुझसे सुनो

Transliteration

kṣemyas tv ekākinā gamyaḥ panthāḥ ko 'stīti pṛccha mām | athavā necchasi praṣṭum apṛcchann api me śṛṇu ||

Translation

ユディシュティラは言った。「私に問え――独り立つ者が歩むにふさわしく、安全で吉祥なる道とは何か。あるいは問うまいと思うなら、問わずとも私の言葉を聞け。」

Word by Word

क्षेम्यःsafe, welfare-giving

नnot

एकाकिनाby/with a solitary person; by one who is alone

गम्यःto be gone on; passable

पन्थाःpath, way

कःwhich? who?

अस्तिis, exists

इतिthus (quotative)

पृच्छask

माम्me

अथवाor else

नnot

इच्छसिyou wish, desire

प्रष्टुम्to ask

अपृच्छन्not asking (though not asking)

अपिeven, also

मेof me; my

शृणुlisten

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

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?

The verse frames dharma as a ‘path’ that must be both auspicious (kṣemya) and practicable even for someone who is alone—suggesting that true ethical conduct should not depend on external support, popularity, or companionship, but be sustainable by inner resolve.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s reflective setting after the war, Yudhiṣṭhira speaks in a counsel-giving mode, inviting the listener to inquire about a welfare-bringing course of conduct; even if the listener hesitates to ask, he offers to explain proactively.