Shloka 153

वृथाग्निना समायुक्तो निष्ठां प्राप्त: पिता मम । हाय, उस महान्‌ वनमें मन्त्रोंसे पवित्र हुई अग्नियोंके रहते हुए भी मेरे ताऊ लौकिक अग्निसे दग्ध होकर क्‍यों मृत्युको प्राप्त हुए?

vṛthāgninā samāyukto niṣṭhāṃ prāptaḥ pitā mama | hāya, asmin mahān vane mantrebhyaḥ pavitrīkṛtāgnīnāṃ saty api mama tātaḥ laukikāgninā dagdhaḥ kathaṃ mṛtyuṃ prāptaḥ?

ยุธิษฐิระกล่าวว่า “อนิจจา! บิดาของเราบรรลุความมั่นคงและประสานกับอัคนีอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์แล้ว แต่เหตุไฉนในป่าใหญ่นั้น—ทั้งที่มีอัคนีซึ่งชำระด้วยมนตร์อยู่—ลุงของเราจึงกลับถึงความตายเพราะถูกไฟสามัญทางโลกเผาผลาญ? ความหมายของสิ่งนี้คืออะไร?”

वृथाin vain; uselessly
वृथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवृथा
अग्निनाby/with fire
अग्निना:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootअग्नि
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
समायुक्तःjoined/connected (with)
समायुक्तः:
TypeAdjective
Rootसम्-आ-युज्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, kta (past passive participle)
निष्ठाम्firm resolve; final state; completion
निष्ठाम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनिष्ठा
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
प्राप्तःhaving attained; reached
प्राप्तः:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-आप्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, kta (past active sense here)
पिताfather
पिता:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपितृ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
ममof me; my
मम:
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormGenitive, Singular

युधिछिर उवाच

Y
Yudhiṣṭhira
P
Pāṇḍu (as 'my father')
D
Dhṛtarāṣṭra (as 'my uncle')
A
Agni (fire)
M
Mahāvana (the great forest)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights the tension between spiritual attainment and the unpredictability of worldly events: even those living in sanctity and discipline remain subject to impermanence. It also reflects an ethical inquiry—Yudhiṣṭhira seeks a dharmic explanation for suffering that seems to contradict the presence of sacred protections.

Yudhiṣṭhira laments and questions how his uncle (Dhṛtarāṣṭra), dwelling in the forest with ascetic practices and sacred fires, could nevertheless die in a common forest conflagration. His grief is sharpened by the contrast between mantra-sanctified ritual fire and the destructive ‘ordinary’ fire that caused death.