Shloka 20

Adhyāya 33 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Post-Conflict Remorse and Inquiry on Āśrama Discipline (शोक-विमर्शः, आश्रम-जिज्ञासा)

Devanagari script

तेषामपि महाबाहो कर्माणि परिचिन्तय । विनाशहेतुकानि त्वं यैस्ते कालवशं गता:

Transliteration

teṣām api mahābāho karmāṇi paricintaya | vināśa-hetukāni tvaṃ yais te kāla-vaśaṃ gatāḥ ||

Translation

வியாசர் கூறினார்— ஓ பெருந்தோளனே! அவர்களுடைய செயல்களையும் சிந்தி; எந்தச் செயல்களால் அவர்கள் அழிவிற்குக் காரணமாய், காலத்தின் ஆட்பட்டுத் தங்கள் முடிவை அடைந்தார்களோ.

Word by Word

तेषाम्of them

अपिalso/even

महाबाहोO mighty-armed one

कर्माणिdeeds/actions

परिचिन्तयconsider/reflect upon

विनाशहेतुकानिcauses of destruction

त्वम्you

यैःby which

तेthey

कालवशम्under the sway of time

गताःhave gone/ended up

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

mahābāhu (addressee, unspecified in the verse)

Kāla (Time)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should scrutinize the specific actions that lead to downfall, recognizing that ruin is not random: destructive choices become the causes, and then Time (kāla) completes the consequence. Ethical reflection on causality in action is urged.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa addresses a heroic listener and instructs him to contemplate the deeds of certain people who have perished—highlighting that their end came through ruin-causing actions and the overpowering force of Time.