Shloka 25

Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament and Kṛṣṇa’s Rudra-Cosmogony Explanation (सौप्तिक पर्व, अध्याय १७)

Devanagari script

तपसाधिगतं चाजन्न॑ प्रजार्थ मे पितामह । ओषध्य: परिवर्तेरन्‌ यथैवं सततं प्रजा:

Transliteration

tapasādhigataṃ cājñaṃ prajārthaṃ me pitāmaha | oṣadhyaḥ parivarteran yathaivaṃ satataṃ prajāḥ ||

Translation

ಹೇ ಪಿತಾಮಹ! ನನ್ನ ಪ್ರಜೆಗಳ ಹಿತಾರ್ಥವಾಗಿ ಈ ಆಜ್ಞೆಯನ್ನು ನಾನು ತಪಸ್ಸಿನಿಂದ ಪಡೆದಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಔಷಧಿಗಳು ಪುನಃ ಪುನಃ ನವೀನವಾಗಿ ಪರಿವರ್ತಿಸಲಿ; ಹೀಗೆ ಪ್ರಜೆಗಳು ಸದಾ ವೃದ್ಧಿಯಾಗಲಿ.

Word by Word

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अधिगतं: obtained/attained
• अधिगतं: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-गम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

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

• अजन्: O Unborn one (Brahmā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रजार्थम्: for the sake of progeny
• प्रजार्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा-अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• पितामह: O grandsire
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• ओषध्यः: medicinal herbs/plants
• ओषध्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओषधि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• परिवर्तेरन्: would turn/undergo change
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-वृत्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Plural

• यथा: as / just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• सततम्: always/continually
• सततम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सतत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रजाः: creatures/progeny
• प्रजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pitāmaha (honorific ‘Grandfather’)
• oṣadhyaḥ (medicinal herbs)
• prajāḥ (the subjects/people)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Authority gained through tapas should be directed toward prajā-hita (the welfare of the people). The verse frames governance as protective and restorative—ensuring resources like healing herbs remain available so society can endure and recover.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker reports a boon-like ordinance acquired through austerity and expresses (or relays) a wish that medicinal herbs continually regenerate, so that the population may be sustained without interruption.