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Shloka 9

असंतोषादिदोष-निरूपणम्

On the Faults of Discontent and the Discipline of Detachment

एकोदरकृते व्यात्र: करोति विघसं बहु । तमन्येडप्युपजीवन्ति मन्दा लोभवशा मृगा:,बाघ एक ही पेटके लिये बहुत-से प्राणियोंकी हिंसा करता है, दूसरे लोभी और मूर्ख पशु भी उसीके सहारे जीवन-निर्वाह करते हैं

ekodarākṛte vyāghraḥ karoti vighasaṃ bahu | tam anye 'py upajīvanti mandā lobhavaśā mṛgāḥ ||

एकोदरकृते व्याघ्रः करोति विघसं बहु । तमन्येऽप्युपजीवन्ति मन्दा लोभवशा मृगाः ॥

एक-उदर-कृतेfor the sake of one belly (his own stomach)
एक-उदर-कृते:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootएक + उदर + कृत (कृ)
FormNeuter, Dative, Singular
व्याघ्रःthe tiger
व्याघ्रः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootव्याघ्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
करोतिdoes; makes
करोति:
TypeVerb
Rootकृ
FormPresent (Lat), Third, Singular
विघसम्leftovers; remains (of prey/food)
विघसम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootविघस
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
बहुmuch; abundant
बहु:
TypeAdjective
Rootबहु
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
तम्that (leftover)
तम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
अन्येothers
अन्ये:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootअन्य
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
अपिalso; even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
उपजीवन्तिlive by; subsist on
उपजीवन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootउप-जीव्
FormPresent (Lat), Third, Plural
मन्दाःdull; foolish
मन्दाः:
TypeAdjective
Rootमन्द
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
लोभ-वशाःunder the sway of greed
लोभ-वशाः:
TypeAdjective
Rootलोभ + वश
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
मृगाःanimals; beasts
मृगाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमृग
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural

युधिछिर उवाच

Y
Yudhiṣṭhira
V
vyāghra (tiger)
M
mṛga (animals/beasts)
V
vighasa (leftovers/remains)

Educational Q&A

The verse criticizes greed-driven dependence on wrongdoing: one agent commits violence for selfish ends, and others—lacking discernment—choose to profit from the aftermath, becoming ethically implicated through opportunistic reliance.

In the Śānti Parva’s moral discourse, Yudhiṣṭhira uses a natural image: a tiger kills for its own hunger, and other animals gather to live off the remains. The example functions as an ethical analogy about society’s tendency to survive on the byproducts of another’s harmful acts.