Mahabharata 7.103.4 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 103, Shloka 4

भीमसेन-द्रोण-संग्रामः

Bhīmasena and Droṇa: Containment, Advance, and Recognition

Devanagari script

असन्तस्तु न्यवर्तन्त वेदेभ्य इव नास्तिका: । नरकं भजमानास्ते प्रत्यपद्यन्त किल्बिषम्‌

Transliteration

asantas tu nyavartanta vedebhya iva nāstikāḥ | narakaṁ bhajamānās te pratyapadyanta kilbiṣam ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Nhưng kẻ hèn kém thì quay đầu—như kẻ vô tín lánh xa Veda. Đã chọn con đường dẫn xuống địa ngục, họ chỉ chuốc lấy tội lỗi và trở về trong nhục nhã.

Word by Word

• असन्तः: wicked/ignoble (people)
• असन्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• न्यवर्तन्त: they turned back/withdrew
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Plural, Atmanepada

• वेदेभ्यः: from the Vedas
• वेदेभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Plural

• इव: as/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• नास्तिकाः: atheists/non-believers
• नास्तिकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भजमानाः: resorting to/entering (hell)
• भजमानाः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज्
• Form: शानच् (present active participle, Parasmaipada sense), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: they/those
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रत्यपद्यन्त: they incurred/obtained (for themselves)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पद्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Plural, Atmanepada

• किल्बिषम्: sin/evil deed
• किल्बिषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: किल्बिष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Vedas
• nāstikāḥ (unbelievers)
• naraka (hell)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts adherence to dharma with rejection of moral and scriptural guidance: those who are ignoble turn away from righteous conduct, and such retreat from duty results in moral demerit (kilbiṣa) and a downward consequence symbolized as naraka.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that certain low-minded warriors, confronted in battle, lose resolve and retreat. Their turning back is likened to nāstikas who keep away from the Vedas, implying a willful abandonment of the proper path and the accrual of sin.