Mahabharata 3.299.36 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 299, Shloka 36

Ajñātavāsa-saṅkalpaḥ — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Resolve and Dhaumya’s Exempla on Concealment

Devanagari script

एवंप्रायश्न॒ लोको<यं मनुष्या: शक्तिपेशला: । सन्तस्त्वेवाप्यमित्रेषु दयां प्राप्तेषु कुर्वते

Transliteration

evaṃprāyaśn loko ’yaṃ manuṣyāḥ śaktipeśalāḥ | santaḥ tv evāpy amitreṣu dayāṃ prāpteṣu kurvate ||

Translation

సాధారణంగా ఈ లోకం ఇలానే ఉంది—మనుష్యులు అల్పాయుష్కులు, వారి బలహీనత ప్రసిద్ధమే. అయినా సత్పురుషులు శరణు కోరుకొని వచ్చిన శత్రువులపైనా దయ చూపుతారు.

Word by Word

• {'evaṃprāyaḥ': 'for the most part

• generally so', 'lokaḥ': 'the world

• society', 'ayam': 'this', 'manuṣyāḥ': 'human beings', 'śakti': 'strength

• power', 'peśalāḥ': 'delicate, tender

• (by sense) frail/weak', 'santaḥ': 'the good

• saints', 'tu': 'but

• indeed', 'eva': 'certainly

• emphatically', 'api': 'even

• also', 'amitreṣu': 'toward enemies (locative plural of amitra)', 'dayām': 'compassion

• mercy', 'prāpteṣu': 'toward those who have come/arrived

• those who have sought (help/refuge)', 'kurvate': 'they do

Speaker

यम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yama

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Compassion is a hallmark of dharma: the virtuous extend mercy even to enemies when they come seeking protection, recognizing the general frailty and shortness of human life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yama is speaking, reflecting on the human condition and invoking the ethical standard of the righteous—showing compassion to those who approach for refuge—even if they are enemies, thereby justifying mercy toward the supplicant.