Shloka 44

अध्याय २९ — वासुदेव–संजय संवादः

Karma, Varṇa-Dharma, and the Ethics of Governance

Devanagari script

ये चानाथा दुबला: सर्वकाल- मात्मन्येव प्रयतन्ते5थ मूढा: । तांश्वापि त्वं कृपणान्‌ सर्वथैव हास्मद्वाक्यात्‌ कुशलं तात पृच्छे:,संजय! जो अनाथ, दुर्बल एवं मूर्खजन सदा अपने शरीरका पोषण करनेके लिये ही प्रयत्न करते हैं, तुम मेरे कहनेसे उन दीनजनोंके पास भी जाकर सब प्रकारसे उनका कुशल-समाचार पूछना

Transliteration

ye cānāthā durbalāḥ sarvakālam ātmanī eva prayatante ’tha mūḍhāḥ | tān śvāpi tvaṃ kṛpaṇān sarvathaiva hāsmadvākyāt kuśalaṃ tāta pṛcchēḥ, saṃjaya ||

Translation

ਅਤੇ ਜੋ ਬੇਸਹਾਰਾ, ਕਮਜ਼ੋਰ ਤੇ ਮੋਹ-ਗ੍ਰਸਤ ਲੋਕ ਸਦਾ ਕੇਵਲ ਆਪਣੇ ਸਰੀਰ ਦੀ ਗੁਜ਼ਾਰਾ ਲਈ ਹੀ ਜਤਨ ਕਰਦੇ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ—ਹੇ ਸੰਜਯ, ਮੇਰੀ ਆਖਿਆਨੁਸਾਰ ਤੂੰ ਦਇਆ ਕਰਕੇ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਗਰੀਬਾਂ ਕੋਲ ਵੀ ਜਾ ਕੇ ਹਰ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਖੈਰੀਅਤ ਪੁੱਛੀਂ।

Word by Word

• {'ye': 'those who', 'ca': 'and', 'anāthāḥ': 'without protector

• destitute', 'durbalāḥ': 'weak

• powerless', 'sarvakālam': 'at all times

• always', 'ātmani eva': 'in/for oneself alone

• with regard to one’s own person/body', 'prayatante': 'they strive

• they make efforts', 'atha': 'and then

• moreover', 'mūḍhāḥ': 'deluded

• lacking discernment', 'tān': 'them', 'śva api (sv api)': 'even those also', 'tvaṃ': 'you', 'kṛpaṇān': 'the poor

• wretched', 'sarvathā eva': 'in every way

• entirely', 'asmad-vākyāt': 'at my word

• on my instruction', 'kuśalam': 'welfare

• safety', 'tāta': 'dear one

• affectionate address', 'pṛcchēḥ (pṛccha)': 'ask

• inquire', 'saṃjaya': 'Sañjaya'}

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Sañjaya
• anāthāḥ (the unprotected/destitute)
• durbalāḥ (the weak)
• mūḍhāḥ (the deluded)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes dharmic leadership and compassion: even those who are socially unprotected, weak, or lacking discernment deserve care and a direct inquiry into their well-being. Moral duty extends beyond allies and elites to the most vulnerable.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira instructs Sañjaya to go and ask after the welfare of various people; here he specifically includes the destitute and weak who struggle merely to sustain themselves, directing that they too be checked on thoroughly at his request.