Shloka 23

Devanagari script

गान्धारराजरचितं सतत जिद्दाबुद्धिना । यस्य कार्यमकार्य वा सममेव भवत्युत

Transliteration

Vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | gāndhārarājaracitaṃ satataṃ jid(d)hābuddhinā | yasya kāryam akāryaṃ vā samam eva bhavaty uta, dharmaputro mahābāhur vilalāpa suvistaram ||

Translation

“କିମ୍ବା ଏହା ଗାନ୍ଧାରରାଜ ଶକୁନିଙ୍କ ରଚନା—ଯାହାର ବୁଦ୍ଧି ସଦା କୁଟିଳ, ଏବଂ ଯାହା ପାଇଁ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଓ ଅକାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଦୁହେଁ ସମାନ।” ଏହିପରି କହି ମହାବାହୁ ଧର୍ମପୁତ୍ର ଯୁଧିଷ୍ଠିର ଦୀର୍ଘ ଭାବେ ବିଲାପ କଲେ।

Word by Word

• गान्धारराजरचितम्: done/contrived by the king of Gandhāra
• गान्धारराजरचितम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गान्धारराज-रचित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सततम्: always, continually
• सततम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत

• जितदाबुद्धिना: with a (so-called) conquered/controlled intellect (i.e., crafty mind)
• जितदाबुद्धिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जित-दा-बुद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• यस्य: of whom/whose
• यस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• कार्यम्: what ought to be done; duty
• कार्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अकार्यम्: what ought not to be done; improper act
• अकार्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकार्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• समम्: equal, the same
• समम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• भवति: is/becomes
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• उत: and also; moreover
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत

• धर्मपुत्रः: Dharma’s son (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• धर्मपुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाबाहुः: mighty-armed
• महाबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विललाप: lamented
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-लप्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सुविस्तरम्: at great length; extensively
• सुविस्तरम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु-विस्तर

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Gāndhāra-rāja (Śakuni)
• Dharmaputra (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical collapse: when a person treats kārya (duty) and akārya (wrongdoing) as equal, trust becomes impossible and harm becomes likely. It implicitly upholds dharma as the capacity to discern and honor the difference between right action and forbidden action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates Yudhiṣṭhira’s extended lament and suspicion that the calamity befalling him and his brothers could be the work of the Gāndhāra king (Śakuni), characterized as perpetually deceitful and indifferent to moral boundaries.