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Shloka 22

भीष्मविक्रमदर्शनं तथा क्रौञ्चारुणव्यूहविधानम् | Bhīṣma’s Ascendancy and the Organization of the Krauñcāruṇa Formation

यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन्‌ कार्य सक्तमहैतुकम्‌ । अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्‌ तामसमुदाह्ृतम्‌

yat tu kṛtsnavad ekasmin kārye saktam ahaitukam | atattvārthavad alpaṃ ca tat tāmasam udāhṛtam ||

यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन् कार्ये सक्तमहैतुकम् । अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥

यत्which/that (thing)
यत्:
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
तुbut
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
कृत्स्नवत्as if whole/complete
कृत्स्नवत्:
TypeAdjective
Rootकृत्स्नवत्
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
एकस्मिन्in one (place/thing)
एकस्मिन्:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective (numeral)
Rootएक
FormMasculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular
कार्येin an action/task
कार्ये:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootकार्य
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
सक्तम्attached/engaged
सक्तम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootसक्त
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
अहेतुकम्without proper motive/cause
अहेतुकम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootअहेतुक
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
अतत्त्वार्थवत्having unreal/incorrect meaning
अतत्त्वार्थवत्:
TypeAdjective
Rootअतत्त्वार्थवत्
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
अल्पम्small/insignificant
अल्पम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootअल्प
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
तत्that (is)
तत्:
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
तामसम्tamasic (of darkness/ignorance)
तामसम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootतामस
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
उदाहृतम्is said/called
उदाहृतम्:
TypeVerb
Rootउद्-आ-हृ (हृ)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, Past passive participle

अजुन उवाच

A
Arjuna

Educational Q&A

A tamasic mode of understanding is narrow and deluded: it fixates on one action as if it were everything, lacks sound reasoning, and misconstrues reality—therefore it cannot guide ethical choice or dharmic conduct.

In the Bhīṣma Parva’s teaching discourse, Arjuna is engaged in discerning the qualities of right judgment; this verse characterizes the lowest (tāmasic) kind of understanding by its irrational attachment, partial vision, and error about what is truly right.