Shloka 2

उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ५ (कृष्णनीति: न्यायशम-उपदेशः; विराट-द्रुपदयोः सैन्यसमाह्वानम्)

Devanagari script

एतच्च पूर्व कार्य न: सुनीतमभिकाड्क्षताम्‌ । अन्यथा हाचरन्‌ कर्म पुरुष: स्यात्‌ सुबालिश:

Transliteration

etac ca pūrvaṃ kārya naḥ sunītam abhikāṅkṣatām | anyathā hy ācaran karma puruṣaḥ syāt subāliśaḥ ||

Translation

善き政道と正しい振る舞いを切に望む我らにとって、まずこれを成すべきである。時機と状況に背いて行う者は、はなはだ愚かと見なされる。

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (thing)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• पूर्वम्: first, beforehand
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व

• कार्यम्: a task; what should be done
• कार्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• नः: of us; our
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Plural

• सुनीतम्: well-guided; good policy/wise conduct
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुनीत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अभिकाङ्क्षताम्: we desire/seek
• अभिकाङ्क्षताम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+काङ्क्ष्
• Form: Present, First, Plural, Parasmaipada, Indicative

• अन्यथा: otherwise; contrary to the proper occasion
• अन्यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा

• आचरन्: acting; behaving
• आचरन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+चर्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कर्म: deed; action
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पुरुषः: a man; person
• पुरुषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्यात्: would be; may be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, Optative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सुबालिशः: very foolish
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु+बालिश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva
• puruṣa (a person)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should prioritize the action that accords with sunīti (wise policy and right conduct). Acting against the demands of time, place, and circumstance is a mark of folly.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva is giving counsel, emphasizing that those seeking good governance and proper conduct must first undertake the appropriate preliminary step; ignoring situational propriety leads to blameworthy, foolish action.