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Shloka 2

उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel

एतदिच्छामि तत्त्वेन व्याख्यातुं वै पितामह । सूक्ष्मा गतिर्हिं धर्मस्य यत्र मुहान्ति मानवा:

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: etad icchāmi tattvena vyākhyātuṃ vai pitāmaha | sūkṣmā gatir hi dharmasya yatra muhyanti mānavāḥ ||

Yudhiṣṭhira thưa: “Bạch ông nội, xin người giải bày việc này đúng theo chân lý. Bởi đường đi của dharma thật vi tế—vi tế đến mức con người thường mê lầm về nó.”

एतत्this (matter)
एतत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
इच्छामिI wish/desire
इच्छामि:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootइष्
FormPresent, First, Singular, Parasmaipada
तत्त्वेनin truth; accurately
तत्त्वेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootतत्त्व
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
व्याख्यातुम्to explain
व्याख्यातुम्:
TypeVerb
Rootवि-आ-ख्या
FormTumun (infinitive)
वैindeed; surely
वै:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै
पितामहO grandsire
पितामह:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootपितामह
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
सूक्ष्माsubtle
सूक्ष्मा:
TypeAdjective
Rootसूक्ष्म
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
गतिःcourse; path; movement
गतिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootगति
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
हिfor; indeed
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
धर्मस्यof dharma; of righteousness
धर्मस्य:
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
यत्रwhere
यत्र:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयत्र
मुह्यन्तिbecome deluded; are confused
मुह्यन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootमुह्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
मानवाःmen; humans
मानवाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमानव
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural

युधिछिर उवाच

Y
Yudhiṣṭhira
P
Pitāmaha (Bhīṣma)
D
Dharma

Educational Q&A

Dharma is not always obvious; its true course can be subtle, so one should seek careful, truthful explanation from a reliable authority before judging right and wrong.

Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Bhīṣma as ‘Grandfather’ and requests a precise clarification on a moral issue, acknowledging that people often become confused when trying to determine what dharma requires.