Shloka 98

Devanagari script

युधिछ्िर उवाच धर्मज्ञ: पण्डितो ज्ञेयो नास्तिको मूर्ख उच्यते । काम: संसारहेतुश्न हृत्तापो मत्सर: स्मृत:,युधिष्ठिर बोले--धर्मज्ञको पण्डित समझना चाहिये, मूर्ख नास्तिक कहलाता है और नास्तिक मूर्ख है तथा जो जन्म-मरणरूप संसारका कारण है, वह वासना काम है और हृदयकी जलन ही मत्सर है

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | dharmajñaḥ paṇḍito jñeyo nāstiko mūrkha ucyate | kāmaḥ saṃsāra-hetuś ca hṛt-tāpo matsaraḥ smṛtaḥ ||

Translation

Sumagot si Yudhiṣṭhira: “Ang nakaaalam ng dharma ang dapat kilalaning marunong (paṇḍita); ang walang pananampalataya (nāstika) ay tinatawag na mangmang. Ang pagnanasa (kāma) ang sanhi na nagbubuklod sa mga nilalang sa ikot ng kapanganakan at kamatayan. At ang inggit (matsara) ay ang naglalagablab na hapdi sa loob ng puso.”

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

उवाचsaid

धर्मज्ञःknower of dharma

पण्डितःa learned man

ज्ञेयःis to be known/recognized (as)

नास्तिकःan unbeliever/atheist

मूर्खःa fool

उच्यतेis called

कामःdesire

संसारहेतुःcause of transmigration

हृत्तापःburning/torment of the heart

मत्सरःenvy

स्मृतःis remembered/considered (as)

Speaker

युधिछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True learning is measured by understanding dharma; disbelief that rejects moral-spiritual authority is treated as folly. Desire binds one to saṃsāra, and envy is characterized as an inner burning that corrodes the heart.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a didactic exchange in the Vana Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira articulates moral definitions—who should be considered wise, what keeps beings trapped in worldly existence, and how envy is experienced internally.