Shloka 14

Devanagari script

द्वावेतौ ग्रसते भूमि: सर्पों बिलशयानिव । राजानं चाविरोद्धारं ब्राह्मणं चाप्रवासिनम्‌

Transliteration

dvāv etau grasate bhūmiḥ sarpōn bilaśayān iva | rājānaṃ cāvirōddhāraṃ brāhmaṇaṃ cāpravāsinam ||

Translation

ପୃଥିବୀ ଏହି ଦୁଇଜଣଙ୍କୁ ଗ୍ରସି ନେଇଥାଏ—ଯେପରି ସର୍ପ ବିଲରେ ରହୁଥିବା ପ୍ରାଣୀମାନଙ୍କୁ ଗିଳି ନେଏ: ପ୍ରତିରୋଧ କରି ଧର୍ମ-ଶାସନ ରକ୍ଷା ନକରୁଥିବା ରାଜାକୁ, ଏବଂ ଗୃହାସକ୍ତ ହୋଇ ପ୍ରବ୍ରଜ୍ୟା ନକରୁଥିବା ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣକୁ।

Word by Word

• द्वौ: two
• द्वौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• एतौ: these two
• एतौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• ग्रसते: devours, swallows
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रस्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• भूमिः: the earth
• भूमिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्पः: a snake
• सर्पः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बिलशयान्: those dwelling in holes (burrow-dwellers)
• बिलशयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिलशय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• राजानम्: a king
• राजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अविरोद्धारम्: one who does not oppose/resist
• अविरोद्धारम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविरोद्धृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणम्: a brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अप्रवासिनम्: one who does not go abroad / does not wander (away from home)
• अप्रवासिनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप्रवासिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• earth (bhūmi)
• serpent (sarpa)
• king (rājā)
• brāhmaṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Neglect of svadharma leads to downfall: a king must actively uphold order and restrain wrongdoing, while a brāhmaṇa is expected to pursue disciplined spiritual life (often idealized as going forth/wandering rather than remaining complacently settled).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sabha Parva context, Duryodhana is speaking in a political-moral register, using a proverb-like image to argue that passivity in rulership and complacency in spiritual vocation are self-destructive, as if the very earth consumes such persons.