Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच अज्ञानस्य प्रवृत्ति च स्थान वृद्धिक्षयोदयौ । मूलं योगं गतिं कालं॑ कारणं हेतुमेव च

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | ajñānasya pravṛttiṁ ca sthāna-vṛddhi-kṣayodayau | mūlaṁ yogaṁ gatiṁ kālaṁ kāraṇaṁ hetum eva ca ||

Translation

Юдхиштхира сказал: «О царь, поведай мне о неведении: о его возникновении и действии, о состоянии пребывания, о росте и убыли, о его проявлении. Объясни также его корень, связь (йога), его ход и направление (гати), роль времени, и что поистине является его причиной и ближайшим побуждением».

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अज्ञानस्य: of ignorance
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• प्रवृत्तिः: arising; activity; origination
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवृत्ति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• स्थानम्: abiding; state; continuance
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वृद्धिः: increase; growth
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षयः: decay; diminution; destruction
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उदयौ: two risings/origins (dual form as in the received text)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• मूलम्: root; source
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• योगम्: connection; conjunction; yoga
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गतिम्: course; movement; destiny
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• कालम्: time
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कारणम्: cause
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• हेतुम्: reason; motive
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a systematic ethical-philosophical inquiry: ignorance is not treated vaguely but analyzed through its lifecycle (arising, persistence, growth, decline) and through causal categories (root, connection, course, time, cause, motive). This prepares for a dharma-centered explanation of how delusion forms and how it can be understood and overcome.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction setting, Yudhiṣṭhira questions a royal-sage authority (addressed as ‘O king’) and asks for a detailed account of ajñāna—how it begins, how it operates in life, what sustains it, and what factors (including time and causation) govern it.