Shloka 8

Devanagari script

न सन्ति लोकेषु पुमांस ईदृशा इत्येव ये भावितबुद्धयः सदा । ज्ञास्यन्ति ते55त्मानमिमेडद्य पाण्डवा विपर्यये षण्ढतिला इवाफला:

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca:

na santi lokeṣu pumāṁsa īdṛśā ity eva ye bhāvitabuddhayaḥ sadā |

jñāsyanti te ’tmānam ime ’dya pāṇḍavā viparyaye ṣaṇḍhatilā ivāphalāḥ ||

Translation

ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຜູ້ທີ່ເຄີຍຫຼໍ່ລ້ຽງຄວາມຍິ່ງຍະໂສໃນໃຈຢູ່ເສມອວ່າ ‘ໃນສາມໂລກບໍ່ມີຊາຍໃດເທົ່າພວກເຮົາ’—ພວກປານດະວະນັ້ນແຫຼະ ບັດນີ້ຕົກຢູ່ໃນສະພາບກົງກັນຂ້າມ ແລະກາຍເປັນເຫມືອນເມັດງາກົ້ນໂປ່ງ ບໍ່ມີແກ່ນສານ ບໍ່ມີຜົນ. ມື້ນີ້ເຂົາຈະຮູ້ຈັກສະພາບທີ່ແທ້ຂອງຕົນ»។

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• सन्ति: are/exist
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, 3, Plural, Parasmaipada

• लोकेषु: in the worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• पुमांसः: men
• पुमांसः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ईदृशाः: such (as we are)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भावित-बुद्धयः: those whose minds were filled/imbued (with that notion)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भावितबुद्धि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• ज्ञास्यन्ति: will know/realize
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा
• Form: Future, 3, Plural, Parasmaipada

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• आत्मानम्: themselves/their own state
• आत्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इमे: these
• इमे: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अद्य: today/now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• पाण्डवाः: the Pandavas
• पाण्डवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विपर्यये: in reversal/misfortune
• विपर्यये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपर्यय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• षण्ढ-तिलाः: barren/empty sesame-seeds
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्ढतिल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अफलाः: fruitless/without substance
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अफल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pāṇḍavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Arrogant self-assurance collapses when circumstances reverse; adversity exposes what is truly substantial. The verse warns against pride and highlights the ethical need for humility and self-knowledge.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the context of the Sabha Parva’s unfolding humiliation and downfall, the speaker remarks that those who once believed themselves unmatched in the worlds—the Pāṇḍavas—have now been brought low by a reversal of fortune, becoming ‘hollow’ and powerless, and are forced to recognize their real situation.