Shloka 25

Devanagari script

मा तात साहसं कार्षी: स्वधर्मं परिपालय । स्वधर्मस्थ: परं धर्म बुध्यस्व गमयस्व च,तात! तुम दुःसाहस न कर बैठना, अपने धर्मका पालन करना, स्वधर्ममें स्थित रहकर तुम श्रेष्ठ धर्मको समझो और उसका पालन करो

Transliteration

mā tāta sāhasaṃ kārṣīḥ svadharmaṃ paripālaya | svadharmasthaḥ paraṃ dharmaṃ budhyasva gamayasva ca, tāta ||

Translation

ไวศัมปายนะกล่าวว่า “ลูกเอ๋ย อย่ากระทำการอันหุนหันพลันแล่น จงพิทักษ์สวธรรมของตน เมื่อมั่นคงในสวธรรมแล้ว จงเข้าใจธรรมอันสูงยิ่ง และนำไปปฏิบัติด้วยเถิด ลูกเอ๋ย”

Word by Word

माdo not

तातdear son / dear one

साहसम्rash act, audacity

कार्षीःyou should do / do (here: do not do)

स्वधर्मम्one's own duty

परिपालयprotect, observe, maintain

स्वधर्मस्थःstanding in one's own duty

परम्highest, supreme

धर्मम्dharma, righteous duty

बुध्यस्वunderstand, realize

गमयस्वcause (it) to be followed / practice (it)

चand

तातdear son / dear one

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse urges restraint and discernment: avoid reckless action, remain grounded in one’s svadharma, and then recognize and enact the higher dharma—ethical clarity joined with disciplined practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, reports a moment of counsel in which an elder voice addresses a younger person affectionately (“tāta”), warning against impulsive daring and directing them toward steady adherence to duty and a clearer grasp of righteous conduct.