Shloka 26

Strī-satkāra (On honoring women) — Mahābhārata 13.46

Devanagari script

निहन्यादन्यथाकुर्वन्‌ नर: कौरवनन्दन । सर्वथा राजशार्टूल मुक्ति: सर्वत्र पूज्यते

Transliteration

nihanyād anyathākurvan naraḥ kauravanandana | sarvathā rājaśārdūla muktiḥ sarvatra pūjyate ||

Translation

Vipula nói: “Hỡi niềm vui của dòng Kuru, kẻ hành xử trái với điều phải sẽ tự chuốc lấy diệt vong. Hỡi bậc hổ trong hàng quân vương, ở mọi nơi và bằng mọi cách, chính giải thoát (mokṣa) mới là điều được tôn kính.”

Word by Word

• निहन्यात्: would destroy / would kill
• निहन्यात्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-lin (optative), present-system, 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• अन्यथा: otherwise / in a contrary way
• अन्यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)

• कुर्वन्: doing
• कुर्वन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), masculine, nominative, singular

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• कौरव-नन्दन: O son/delight of the Kauravas
• कौरव-नन्दन: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौरव + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• सर्वथा: in every way / entirely
• सर्वथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वथा (अव्यय)

• राज-शार्दूल: O tiger among kings
• राज-शार्दूल: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)

• पूज्यते: is honored / is worshipped
• पूज्यते: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: Lat (present), passive (karmaṇi), 3, singular

• कौरव-नन्दन: O son/delight of the Kauravas
• कौरव-नन्दन: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौरव + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

विपुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vipula
• Kauravanandana (addressed Kuru prince)
• Rājaśārdūla (addressed king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Acting against dharma and proper discipline leads to one’s downfall, whereas mokṣa (liberation) is universally esteemed as the highest aim and therefore deserves reverence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vipula is instructing a Kuru prince/king, using honorific addresses, warning against contrary conduct and affirming the supreme value placed on liberation across all settings.