Shloka 28

Devanagari script

युष्माभिरपि कर्तव्यं वचनं मम नित्यश: । तपसास्मि परिश्रान्तो दृढे नियममास्थित:,“तुम्हें भी प्रतिदिन मेरी एक आज्ञाका पालन करना होगा। मैं तपस्या करते-करते बहुत थक गया हूँ और दृढ़तापूर्वक संयम-नियमके पालनमें लगा रहता हूँ। बहुत सोचनेपर भी मुझे अपने भीतर चलने-फिरनेकी कोई शक्ति नहीं दिखायी देती; अतः तात! तुम्हें सदा मुझे यहाँसे नदीके तटतक पहुँचाना पड़ेगा

Transliteration

yuṣmābhir api kartavyaṃ vacanaṃ mama nityaśaḥ | tapasāsmī pariśrānto dṛḍhe niyamam āsthitaḥ |

Translation

നിങ്ങളും നിത്യമായി എന്റെ വാക്ക് പാലിക്കണം. തപസ്സാൽ ഞാൻ അത്യന്തം ക്ഷീണിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു; എങ്കിലും ദൃഢമായ നിയമ-സംയമത്തിൽ സ്ഥാപിതനാണ്.

Word by Word

युष्माभिःby you (all)

अपिalso/even

कर्तव्यम्to be done; must be done

वचनम्word/command

ममof me; my

नित्यशःalways; daily

तपसाby austerity; through penance

अस्मिI am

परिश्रान्तःexhausted; worn out

दृढेin firm/steadfast (state)

नियमम्rule; restraint; vow

आस्थितःhaving undertaken; abiding in

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

riverbank (nadī-taṭa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma as disciplined constancy: one who undertakes strict observances may still require practical support, and it becomes the listener’s duty to obey rightful instructions regularly. Ethical life includes both personal restraint (niyama) and compassionate service to those weakened by their vows.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker (introduced as Sañjaya) conveys a request/command: due to exhaustion from austerities and strict observance, he lacks the strength to move and therefore asks that he be taken daily from his place to the riverbank.