Mahabharata 7.201.27 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 201, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

वासुदेवो5पि धर्मात्मा करिष्यत्यात्मन: क्षमम्‌ | श्रेयो हपदिशत्येष लोकस्य किमुतात्मन:

Transliteration

vāsudevo 'pi dharmātmā kariṣyaty ātmanaḥ kṣamam | śreyo hy upadiśaty eṣa lokasya kim utātmanaḥ ||

Translation

วาสุเทวะเองก็เป็นผู้มีธรรมในดวงใจ เขาย่อมกระทำสิ่งที่เหมาะควรแก่ตน ผู้ชี้ทางประโยชน์อันแท้แก่ชาวโลกทั้งปวง จะไม่ธำรงประโยชน์ของตนเองได้อย่างไร

Word by Word

• वासुदेवः: Vasudeva (Krishna)
• वासुदेवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• धर्मात्मा: righteous-souled (one whose self is dharma)
• धर्मात्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• करिष्यति: will do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• आत्मनः: of himself/for himself
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• क्षमम्: proper/fit/appropriate
• क्षमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्रेयः: the good/welfare
• श्रेयः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उपदिशति: teaches/instructs
• Type: Verb
• Root: उपदिश्
• Form: Present (Laṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एषः: this (person)
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• लोकस्य: of the world/people
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उत: then/indeed (emphatic)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत

• आत्मनः: of himself/for himself
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A true teacher of dharma who guides others toward śreyas (the highest good) is presumed to act with the same discernment for himself; moral authority is grounded in inner righteousness and practical wisdom.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reassures the listener about Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva): since he is dharmātmā and a guide to the world’s welfare, he will certainly choose and do what is appropriate for his own situation as well.