Shloka 44

अध्याय २९ — वासुदेव–संजय संवादः

Karma, Varṇa-Dharma, and the Ethics of Governance

Devanagari script

ये चानाथा दुबला: सर्वकाल- मात्मन्येव प्रयतन्ते5थ मूढा: । तांश्वापि त्वं कृपणान्‌ सर्वथैव हास्मद्वाक्यात्‌ कुशलं तात पृच्छे:

Transliteration

ye cānāthā durbalāḥ sarvakālam ātmanī eva prayatante ’tha mūḍhāḥ | tān śvāpi tvaṃ kṛpaṇān sarvathaiva hāsmadvākyāt kuśalaṃ tāta pṛcchēḥ, saṃjaya ||

Translation

ये चानाथा दुर्बलाः सर्वकालं स्वात्मन्येव प्रयतन्तेऽथ मूढाः । तान्श्वापि त्वं कृपणान् सर्वथैव मम वाक्यात् कुशलं तात पृच्छेः, संजय ॥

Word by Word

• {'ye': 'those who', 'ca': 'and', 'anāthāḥ': 'without protector

• destitute', 'durbalāḥ': 'weak

• powerless', 'sarvakālam': 'at all times

• always', 'ātmani eva': 'in/for oneself alone

• with regard to one’s own person/body', 'prayatante': 'they strive

• they make efforts', 'atha': 'and then

• moreover', 'mūḍhāḥ': 'deluded

• lacking discernment', 'tān': 'them', 'śva api (sv api)': 'even those also', 'tvaṃ': 'you', 'kṛpaṇān': 'the poor

• wretched', 'sarvathā eva': 'in every way

• entirely', 'asmad-vākyāt': 'at my word

• on my instruction', 'kuśalam': 'welfare

• safety', 'tāta': 'dear one

• affectionate address', 'pṛcchēḥ (pṛccha)': 'ask

• inquire', 'saṃjaya': 'Sañjaya'}

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Sañjaya
• anāthāḥ (the unprotected/destitute)
• durbalāḥ (the weak)
• mūḍhāḥ (the deluded)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes dharmic leadership and compassion: even those who are socially unprotected, weak, or lacking discernment deserve care and a direct inquiry into their well-being. Moral duty extends beyond allies and elites to the most vulnerable.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira instructs Sañjaya to go and ask after the welfare of various people; here he specifically includes the destitute and weak who struggle merely to sustain themselves, directing that they too be checked on thoroughly at his request.