Shloka 39
उद्यच्छेदेव न नमेदुद्यमो होव पौरुषम् । अप्यपर्वणि भज्येत न नमेतेह कस्यचित्,सदा उद्यम करे, किसीके आगे सिर न झुकावे। उद्यम ही पुरुषार्थ है। असमयमें नष्ट भले ही हो जाय, परंतु किसीके आगे नतमस्तक न हो
udyacchedeva na named udyamo hi vai pauruṣam | apy aparvaṇi bhajyeta na namet iha kasyacit | sadā udyamaṃ kuryāt, kasyacid agre śiraḥ na jhūkayet | udyama eva puruṣārthaḥ | asamaye naṣṭo bhaved api, parantu kasyacid agre natamastakaḥ na bhavet |
Putera itu berkata: “Walau ditebas sekalipun, jangan tunduk. Usaha itulah keberanian sejati seorang lelaki. Walau hancur sebelum waktunya, di sini jangan menyerah kepada sesiapa. Hendaklah sentiasa berikhtiar dan jangan merendahkan kepala di hadapan orang lain; ikhtiar itulah inti puruṣārtha. Walau kebinasaan datang terlalu awal, jangan menjadi hamba.”
पुत्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches uncompromising self-respect and steadfast effort: one should keep striving and refuse servile submission, even if that stance leads to premature ruin.
In Udyoga Parva’s counsel-filled setting, the speaker identified as ‘the son’ delivers a forceful maxim on valor and conduct—equating true puruṣārtha with relentless udyama and rejecting humiliation or surrender before others.