Shloka 25
धर्मद्वारबहुत्वविमर्शः — Reflection on the Many ‘Doors’ of Dharma (Śānti-parva 342)
Devanagari script
मया प्रमाणं हि कृतं लोक: समनुवर्तते
Transliteration
mayā pramāṇaṃ hi kṛtaṃ lokaḥ samanuvartate
Translation
ഞാൻ തന്നെ മാനദണ്ഡം സ്ഥാപിച്ചു; ലോകം അതനുസരിച്ചാണ് നടക്കുന്നത്.
Word by Word
मयाby me
मया:
Karana
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
Form—, तृतीया, एकवचन
प्रमाणम्a standard; an authority; a measure
प्रमाणम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootप्रमाण
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
हिindeed; for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
कृतम्made; established
कृतम्:
TypeVerb
Rootकृ
Formक्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन, कर्मणि (passive sense)
लोकःthe world; people
लोकः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootलोक
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
समनुवर्ततेfollows; conforms
समनुवर्तते:
TypeVerb
Rootसम् + अनु + वृत्
Formलट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, एकवचन, present
Speaker
अर्जुन उवाच
Characters & Entities
A
ArjunaL
loka (the world/people)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
That one’s conduct—especially that of a prominent person—functions as a ‘pramāṇa’ (norm or exemplar) for society; therefore ethical responsibility increases with influence, since the world tends to imitate and conform.
Arjuna speaks in a reflective, didactic context, emphasizing how his own established example becomes a guiding standard for others, highlighting the social consequences of a leader’s choices.