Shloka 28

Gautama–Śakra Saṃvāda: Karma, Loka-bheda, and the Restoration of the Elephant

Devanagari script

निराशिषो निर्ममा वीतरागा लाभालाभे तुल्यनिन्दाप्रशंसा: । तथाविधानामेष लोको महर्षे परं गन्ता धृतराष्ट्रो न तत्र

Transliteration

nirāśiṣo nirmamā vītarāgā lābhālābhe tulyanindāpraśaṃsāḥ | tathāvidhānām eṣa loko maharṣe paraṃ gantā dhṛtarāṣṭro na tatra |

Translation

निराशिषो निर्ममा वीतरागा लाभालाभे तुल्यनिन्दाप्रशंसाः। तथाविधानामेष लोको महर्षे; परं गन्ता धृतराष्ट्रो न तत्र॥

Word by Word

• निराशिषः: desireless; without expectations
• निराशिषः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराशिष्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• निर्ममाः: without possessiveness
• निर्ममाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वीतरागाः: free from attachment/passion
• वीतरागाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीतराग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• लाभालाभे: in gain and loss
• लाभालाभे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाभालाभ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तुल्य: equal; same-minded
• तुल्य: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• निन्दा: in blame/censure
• निन्दा: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निन्दा
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• प्रशंसाः: praises
• प्रशंसाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रशंसा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• तथाविधानाम्: of such (people); of those of that kind
• तथाविधानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथाविध
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• लोकः: world; realm
• लोकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महर्षे: O great sage
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• परम्: supreme (goal/state)
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गन्ता: goer; one who will go
• गन्ता: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: तृच् (agent noun), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धृतराष्ट्रः: Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• धृतराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

Speaker

गौतम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Maharṣi (addressed sage)
• loka (realm)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse praises inner renunciation: freedom from craving for results, possessiveness, and attachment, along with steady equanimity amid gain/loss and praise/blame. Such qualities are presented as qualifications for attaining a higher realm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Gautama describes the kind of people eligible for a particular exalted realm and then states that Dhṛtarāṣṭra will not attain that destination, implying a moral-spiritual shortfall relative to the stated ideals.