Shloka 44

अध्याय २९ — वासुदेव–संजय संवादः

Karma, Varṇa-Dharma, and the Ethics of Governance

Devanagari script

ये चानाथा दुबला: सर्वकाल- मात्मन्येव प्रयतन्ते5थ मूढा: । तांश्वापि त्वं कृपणान्‌ सर्वथैव हास्मद्वाक्यात्‌ कुशलं तात पृच्छे:

Transliteration

ye cānāthā durbalāḥ sarvakālam ātmanī eva prayatante ’tha mūḍhāḥ | tān śvāpi tvaṃ kṛpaṇān sarvathaiva hāsmadvākyāt kuśalaṃ tāta pṛcchēḥ, saṃjaya ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira nói: “Và cả những người không nơi nương tựa—yếu đuối và mê lầm—lúc nào cũng chỉ gắng gượng để nuôi thân mình: ngươi cũng hãy vì lòng thương xót mà đến với những kẻ khốn cùng ấy, hỏi han mọi bề về sự an ổn của họ, hỡi Saṃjaya, theo lời ta nhờ.”

Word by Word

• {'ye': 'those who', 'ca': 'and', 'anāthāḥ': 'without protector

• destitute', 'durbalāḥ': 'weak

• powerless', 'sarvakālam': 'at all times

• always', 'ātmani eva': 'in/for oneself alone

• with regard to one’s own person/body', 'prayatante': 'they strive

• they make efforts', 'atha': 'and then

• moreover', 'mūḍhāḥ': 'deluded

• lacking discernment', 'tān': 'them', 'śva api (sv api)': 'even those also', 'tvaṃ': 'you', 'kṛpaṇān': 'the poor

• wretched', 'sarvathā eva': 'in every way

• entirely', 'asmad-vākyāt': 'at my word

• on my instruction', 'kuśalam': 'welfare

• safety', 'tāta': 'dear one

• affectionate address', 'pṛcchēḥ (pṛccha)': 'ask

• inquire', 'saṃjaya': 'Sañjaya'}

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Sañjaya
• anāthāḥ (the unprotected/destitute)
• durbalāḥ (the weak)
• mūḍhāḥ (the deluded)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes dharmic leadership and compassion: even those who are socially unprotected, weak, or lacking discernment deserve care and a direct inquiry into their well-being. Moral duty extends beyond allies and elites to the most vulnerable.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira instructs Sañjaya to go and ask after the welfare of various people; here he specifically includes the destitute and weak who struggle merely to sustain themselves, directing that they too be checked on thoroughly at his request.