Shloka 43

Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament for Karṇa and Renunciation-Oriented Self-Assessment (शोक-प्रलापः / त्याग-प्रवृत्तिः)

Devanagari script

प्रशाधि त्वमिमामुर्वी क्षेमां निहतकण्टकाम्‌

Transliteration

praśādhi tvam imām urvīm kṣemāṁ nihatakaṇṭakām

Translation

یُدھِشٹھِر نے کہا—“اب یہ زمین امن و عافیت والی ہو گئی ہے، اس کے کانٹے (ضرر و فتنہ کے اسباب) کاٹ دیے گئے ہیں؛ تم دھرم کے مطابق اس کی حکومت کرو۔”

Word by Word

• प्रशाधि: rule, govern
• Type: Verb
• Root: शास्
• Form: लोट्, परस्मैपदम्, मध्यम, एकवचनम्

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• उर्वीम्: earth, land
• उर्वीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उर्वी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• क्षेमाम्: safe, secure, prosperous
• क्षेमाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षेम
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• निहत-कण्टकाम्: with thorns removed (free of troubles)
• निहत-कण्टकाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निहतकण्टक
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Earth (Urvī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Rulership is an ethical obligation: once threats and disorder are removed, the king must actively govern to secure peace (kṣema) and public welfare, not merely enjoy victory or power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira addresses another party with an imperative to rule the realm, describing the earth as now safe and ‘de-thorned’—a figurative way of saying that disruptive elements have been eliminated and stable governance should follow.