Shloka 3

Devanagari script

त्वं तु केवलमस्त्रज्ञो वीरब्रतसमन्वित: । शास्त्रार्थ तत्त्वतो गन्तुं न समर्थ: कथंचन

Transliteration

tvaṃ tu kevalam astrājño vīravratasamanvitaḥ | śāstrārthaṃ tattvato gantuṃ na samarthaḥ kathaṃcana ||

Translation

യുധിഷ്ഠിരൻ പറഞ്ഞു—എന്നാൽ നീ ആയുധവിദ്യയിൽ മാത്രം പ്രാവീണ്യമുള്ളവൻ; വീരവ്രതത്തിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നവൻ. ശാസ്ത്രങ്ങളുടെ തത്ത്വാർത്ഥം യഥാർത്ഥമായി ഗ്രഹിക്കാൻ നീ യാതൊരു വിധത്തിലും സമർത്ഥനല്ല.

Word by Word

त्वम्you

तुbut

केवलम्only/merely

अस्त्रज्ञःknower of weapons

वीरब्रतसमन्वितःendowed with a hero's vow

शास्त्रार्थम्the meaning/purport of the treatise

तत्त्वतःin truth; correctly

गन्तुम्to understand/reach

नnot

समर्थःcapable

कथंचनin any way; at all

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

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?

The verse contrasts technical prowess (knowledge of weapons and warrior discipline) with the deeper competence required to understand śāstra in its true intent. It implies that ethical and philosophical discernment demands more than martial skill—one must be qualified to grasp principles (tattva) rather than merely practice a craft.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shānti Parva’s dharma discussions, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses another party and remarks that the person is primarily a martial expert, not fit to penetrate the true meaning of scriptural teaching. The statement functions as a critique of limited qualification in a debate on dharma and śāstra.