Shloka 129

Devanagari script

आनुशंस्यं परो धर्म: परमार्थाच्च मे मतम्‌ | आनृशंस्यं चिकीर्षामि नकुलो यक्ष जीवतु

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |

Ānuśaṃsyaṃ paro dharmaḥ paramārthāc ca me matam |

Ānṛśaṃsyaṃ cikīrṣāmi—Nakulo yakṣa jīvatu ||

Yakṣa! me evam ālocitaṃ yat vastutaḥ ānṛśaṃsyam (dayā-samatā) eva paramo dharmaḥ; tena sarveṣu dayāṃ samabhāvaṃ ca kartum icchāmi; tasmāt Nakula eva jīvatām ||

Translation

យុធិષ્ઠិរ បានមានព្រះបន្ទូលថា៖ «មេត្តាករុណា និងការមិនធ្វើអំពើឃោរឃៅ គឺជាធម៌ដ៏ខ្ពង់ខ្ពស់បំផុត—នេះជាការជឿជាក់រឹងមាំរបស់ខ្ញុំ ដែលឈរលើប្រយោជន៍ដ៏លើសលប់។ ខ្ញុំប្រាថ្នាធ្វើតាមអនೃśaṃsya ដោយមេត្តា និងសមភាព; ដូច្នេះ ឱ យក្សា សូមឲ្យ នកុល រស់នៅ»។

Word by Word

• आनुशंस्यम्: compassion, kindness
• आनुशंस्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनुशंस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• परः: highest, supreme
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मः: dharma, duty, righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परमार्थात्: from the highest truth/ultimate good
• परमार्थात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

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

• मे: of me, my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• मतम्: opinion, view
• मतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आनृशंस्यम्: non-cruelty, compassion
• आनृशंस्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनृशंस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• चिकीर्षामि: I wish to do/perform
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Present, Lat, First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नकुलः: Nakula
• नकुलः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यक्ष: O Yaksha
• यक्ष: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• जीवतु: let (him) live
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: Imperative, Lot, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यक्ष: O Yaksha
• यक्ष: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Nakula
• Yakṣa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Yudhiṣṭhira identifies compassion/non-cruelty (ānuśaṃsya/ānṛśaṃsya) as the highest dharma and treats it as a practical ethical rule: one should act with kindness and fairness even under pressure, valuing humane conduct as the truest measure of righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Yakṣa episode, Yudhiṣṭhira is questioned by a Yakṣa after his brothers fall. When granted a choice to revive one brother, he asks that Nakula be restored to life, justifying the choice through the principle that compassion and equitable regard are supreme dharma.