Shloka 57

उत्पातवर्णनम् (Utpāta-varṇanam) — Catalogue of Portents

Devanagari script

लुप्तधर्मा परेणासि धर्म दर्शय वै सुतान्‌ । कि ते राज्येन दुर्धर्ष येन प्राप्तोडसि किल्बिषम्‌,“तुम्हारा धर्म अत्यन्त लुप्त हो गया है। अपने पुत्रोंको धर्मका मार्ग दिखाओ। दुर्धर्ष वीर! तुम्हें राज्य लेकर क्या करना है, जिसके लिये अपने ऊपर पापका बोझ लाद रहे हो?

Transliteration

luptadharmā pareṇāsi dharma darśaya vai sutān | ki te rājyena durdharṣa yena prāpto'si kilbiṣam ||

Translation

ಪರರ ಪ್ರಭಾವದಿಂದ ನಿನ್ನ ಧರ್ಮವು ಲೋಪವಾಗಿದೆ. ನಿನ್ನ ಪುತ್ರರಿಗೆ ಧರ್ಮಮಾರ್ಗವನ್ನು ತೋರಿಸು. ಹೇ ದುರ್ದರ್ಶ ವೀರನೇ! ಪಾಪಭಾರವನ್ನು ಹೊತ್ತು ಪಡೆಯುವ ರಾಜ್ಯದಿಂದ ನಿನಗೆ ಏನು ಪ್ರಯೋಜನ?

Word by Word

लुप्तधर्माone whose dharma is lost

परेणby another / through another (cause)

असिyou are

धर्मम्dharma, righteousness

दर्शयshow, point out

वैindeed, surely

सुतान्sons

किम्what?

तेto you / for you

राज्येनwith/through the kingdom; by kingship

दुर्धर्षO hard-to-overcome one

येनby which; for which reason

प्राप्तःhaving obtained; having incurred

असिyou are

किल्बिषम्sin, guilt

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

sons (sutāḥ)

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?

Kingship is not worth pursuing at the cost of dharma: one should restrain ambition, avoid incurring sin, and actively guide one’s children toward righteous conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports a rebuke addressed to a powerful ruler/warrior: he is told that his righteousness has been eclipsed under another’s influence and is urged to instruct his sons in dharma rather than cling to a kingdom that brings moral guilt.