Shloka 128

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच धर्म एव हतो हन्ति धर्मो रक्षति रक्षित: । तस्माद्‌ धर्म न त्यजामि मा नो धर्मो हतोडवधीत्‌

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | dharma eva hato hanti dharmo rakṣati rakṣitaḥ | tasmād dharma na tyajāmi mā no dharmo hato ’vadhīt ||

Translation

ຢຸດທິສຖິຣະກ່າວວ່າ: «ທຳມະ ເມື່ອຖືກລະເມີດ ທຳມະນັ້ນຈະຕອບໂຕ ແລະທຳລາຍຜູ້ລະເມີດ; ທຳມະ ເມື່ອຖືກປົກປ້ອງ ກໍຈະປົກປ້ອງຜູ້ປົກປ້ອງ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ຂ້າພະອົງບໍ່ລະທິ້ງທຳມະ ເພາະກົວວ່າ ທຳມະເມື່ອຖືກທຳລາຍແລ້ວ ຈະຫັນມາທຳລາຍຂ້າພະອົງເອງ»។

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• एव: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• हतः: destroyed, violated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हन्ति: kills, destroys
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: Present (Laṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• रक्षति: protects
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: Present (Laṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• रक्षितः: protected (i.e., when protected)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) → रक्षित (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that reason
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• धर्मम्: dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• त्यजामि: I abandon
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: Present (Laṭ), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मा: lest; do not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा

• नः: us / our
• नः: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: First, Accusative/Genitive (enclitic), Plural

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

• हतः: destroyed, violated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अवधीत्: might kill / should kill
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध् (धातु)
• Form: Aorist (Luṅ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Dharma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is reciprocal and consequential: violating righteousness ultimately harms the violator, while safeguarding righteousness safeguards one’s own life and integrity. The verse frames dharma not as abstract theory but as a living moral order that responds to human choices.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira, known for unwavering commitment to righteousness, articulates why he refuses to abandon dharma even under pressure and hardship: he fears the moral and practical ruin that follows from compromising dharma, and trusts in the protective power of upheld righteousness.