Shloka 15

Dharma-śaṅkā-nivāraṇa: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Response on Karma-Phala and Trust in Dharma

Devanagari script

तथैव हठदुर्बुद्धिः शक्तः कर्मण्यकर्मकृत्‌ । आसीत न चिरं जीवेदनाथ इव दुर्बल:,इसी प्रकार जो हठी और दुर्बुद्धि मानव कर्म करनेमें समर्थ होकर भी कर्म नहीं करता, बैठा रहता है, वह दुर्बल एवं अनाथकी भाँति दीर्घजीवी नहीं होता

Transliteration

tathaiva haṭha-durbuddhiḥ śaktaḥ karmaṇy akarmakṛt | āsīta na ca ciraṃ jīved anātha iva durbalaḥ ||

Translation

“Do mesmo modo, o homem teimoso e extraviado — embora capaz de agir — que se recusa a cumprir o seu dever e apenas fica sentado na ociosidade, não vive muito; perece como um fraco sem amparo nem proteção.”

Word by Word

तथाthus, in the same way

एवindeed, just

हठ-दुर्बुद्धिःa stubborn, ill-minded (man)

शक्तःable, capable

कर्मणिin/with regard to action (work)

अकर्म-कृत्one who does non-action; one who does not act

आसीतsat/was (seated), remained

नnot

चिरम्for long, long time

जीवेत्would live

अनाथःhelpless, without protector

इवlike, as if

दुर्बलःweak

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Capability creates responsibility: one who is able to act but, out of stubborn folly, refuses to do necessary work or dharma harms himself and quickly declines—like a weak, unprotected person.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira is articulating a moral judgment about conduct: he criticizes willful idleness in someone fit for action, stressing that such neglect of duty leads to ruin rather than stability or long life.