Shloka 4

Dharma-śaṅkā-nivāraṇa: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Response on Karma-Phala and Trust in Dharma

Devanagari script

यावद्गोस्तनपानाच्च यावच्छायोपसेवनात्‌ | जन्तव: कर्मणा वृत्तिमाप्रुवन्ति युधिष्ठिर,महाराज युधिष्ठिर! गौओंके बछड़े भी माताका दूध पीते और छायामें जाकर विश्राम करते हैं। इस प्रकार सभी जीव कर्म करके ही जीवन-निर्वाह करते हैं

Transliteration

yāvad gostanapānāc ca yāvac chāyopasevanāt | jantavaḥ karmaṇā vṛttim āpruvanti yudhiṣṭhira ||

Translation

ಮಹಾರಾಜ ಯುಧಿಷ್ಠಿರ! ಕರು ತಾಯಿ ಹಸುವಿನ ಹಾಲು ಕುಡಿಯುವ ಕ್ಷಣದಿಂದ ನೆರಳಿಗೆ ಹೋಗಿ ವಿಶ್ರಾಂತಿ ಪಡೆಯುವ ತನಕ—ಎಲ್ಲ ಜೀವಿಗಳು ಕರ್ಮದ ಮೂಲಕವೇ ಜೀವನೋಪಾಯವನ್ನು ಹೊಂದುತ್ತವೆ.

Word by Word

यावत्as long as / until

गोःof the cow

स्तनपानात्from suckling (drinking at the teat)

चand

यावत्as long as / until

छायोपसेवनात्from resorting to shade (resting in shade)

जन्तवःcreatures / living beings

कर्मणाby action / through work

वृत्तिम्livelihood / sustenance

आप्नुवन्तिobtain / attain

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

cow (go)

calf (implied by nursing)

shade (chāyā)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that sustenance (vṛtti) is gained through karma—practical effort and action. Even animals exemplify this: life proceeds by doing what is necessary, so responsible action is integral to dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Vana Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira makes an ethical point using a simple natural example (a calf nursing and resting in shade) to argue that all beings maintain life through activity, framing a broader reflection on duty and conduct.