Shloka 5

Khaḍgotpattiḥ (Origin and Dharmic Function of the Sword) | खड्गोत्पत्तिः

Devanagari script

श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वेन यथावदिह पार्थिव । अज्ञानप्रसवं हीदं यद्‌ दुःखमुपलभ्यते

Transliteration

śrotum icchāmi tattvena yathāvad iha pārthiva | ajñāna-prasavaṁ hīdaṁ yad duḥkham upalabhyate ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira disse: “Ó rei, desejo ouvir isto aqui segundo o seu verdadeiro princípio e na devida ordem. Pois o sofrimento que se experimenta neste mundo nasce apenas da ignorância.”

Word by Word

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive)

• इच्छामि: I desire
• इच्छामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), 1, singular, परस्मैपदम्

• तत्त्वेन: in truth / with true understanding
• तत्त्वेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• यथावत्: properly, as it is
• यथावत्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथावत् (अव्यय)

• इह: here, in this matter
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)

• पार्थिव: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• अज्ञान-प्रसवम्: born of ignorance
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज्ञानप्रसव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)

• इदम्: this
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• यत्: which
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• दुःखम्: suffering
• दुःखम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• उपलभ्यते: is obtained/experienced
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), 3, singular, आत्मनेपदम् (passive sense)

• पृथ्वी-नाथ: O lord of the earth (king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वीनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• pārthiva (a king addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames suffering (duḥkha) as fundamentally rooted in ignorance (ajñāna). It emphasizes that correct understanding of reality (tattva) and orderly instruction (yathāvat) are necessary to diagnose and remedy the human experience of distress.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking peace and clarity after the war, respectfully asks a kingly authority/teacher to explain the matter in a principled and systematic way, because he recognizes ignorance as the source of the suffering people undergo.