Vana Parva Adhyaya 316 Shloka 52 - Mahabharata | Oriya | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 52

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच इष्वस्त्रमेषां देवत्वं यज्ञ एषां सतामिव । भयं वै मानुषो भाव: परित्यागोडसतामिव

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | iṣv-astram eṣāṁ devatvaṁ yajña eṣāṁ satām iva | bhayaṁ vai mānuṣo bhāvaḥ parityāgo ’satām iva ||

Translation

ଯୁଧିଷ୍ଠିର କହିଲେ—ଧନୁର୍ବିଦ୍ୟା ଓ ଅସ୍ତ୍ରପ୍ରାବୀଣ୍ୟ କ୍ଷତ୍ରିୟମାନଙ୍କର ଦେବତ୍ୱ; ଯଜ୍ଞ ହେଉଛି ସତ୍ପୁରୁଷମାନଙ୍କ ପରି ତାଙ୍କର ଧର୍ମ; ଭୟ ମାନବ-ଭାବ; କିନ୍ତୁ ଶରଣ ନେଇ ଆସିଥିବା ଦୁଃଖୀକୁ ପରିତ୍ୟାଗ କରିଦେବା ଅସତ୍ପୁରୁଷମାନଙ୍କ ଆଚରଣ।

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

उवाचsaid

इष्वस्त्रम्archery/weapon-skill (arrow-weapon)

एषाम्of these (people)

देवत्वम्divinity; godlike status

यज्ञःsacrifice; ritual offering

एषाम्of these (people)

सताम्of the good/virtuous

इवlike; as

भयम्fear

वैindeed

मानुषःhuman

भावःstate; disposition; nature

परित्यागःabandonment; forsaking

असताम्of the wicked/non-virtuous

इवlike; as

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

kṣatriyas (warrior class)

iṣu/astra (arrows/weapons)

yajña (sacrifice)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A kṣatriya’s true ‘divinity’ is disciplined martial skill used in service of dharma; fear may arise naturally, but abandoning those who seek protection—especially the distressed—is condemned as unrighteous conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira articulates a moral standard for warriors: their vocation includes sacrifice-like duty and the obligation to protect the vulnerable; he contrasts understandable human fear with the unacceptable act of forsaking those who have taken refuge.