Shloka 2

Arjuna’s Account of Tapas and the Kirāta Test; Revelation of Maheśvara and the Grant of the Pāśupata-Astra

Devanagari script

धृतिमन्तश्न दक्षाश्न स्वे स्वे कर्मणि भारत । पराक्रमविधानज्ञा नरा कृतयुगे5डभवन्‌,भारत! सत्ययुगमें सब मनुष्य धैर्यवान, अपने-अपने कार्यमें कुशल तथा पराक्रमविधिके ज्ञाता थे

Transliteration

dhṛtimantaś ca dakṣāś ca sve sve karmaṇi bhārata | parākramavidhānajñā narāḥ kṛtayuge 'bhavan bhārata ||

Translation

Dhanada nói: “Hỡi Bhārata, trong Kṛta (Satya) Yuga, con người kiên định và tự chế, tinh thông bổn phận của mình, và am tường những phương pháp đúng đắn của sự gắng sức và dũng lực. Ở thời ấy, hành vi của loài người tự nhiên thuận theo trật tự chính đáng—tài năng và can đảm được dẫn dắt bởi hiểu biết, chứ không bởi bốc đồng.”

Word by Word

• धृतिमन्तः: steadfast, possessing fortitude
• धृतिमन्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृतिमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दक्षाः: skilled, competent
• दक्षाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्वे: in one's own
• स्वे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• स्वे: in one's own (respective)
• स्वे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कर्मणि: in (their) work/duty
• कर्मणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पराक्रमविधानज्ञाः: knowing the rules/methods of valor
• पराक्रमविधानज्ञाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराक्रम-विधान-ज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नराः: men, people
• नराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कृतयुगे: in the Kṛta Yuga (Satya Yuga)
• कृतयुगे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतयुग
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अभवन्: were, became
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

धनद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhanada (Kubera)
• Bhārata (addressed person; descendant of Bharata)
• Kṛta Yuga (Satya Yuga)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents the ethical ideal of the Kṛta Yuga: people naturally combine fortitude (dhṛti), competence (dakṣatā), and disciplined valor (parākramavidhāna-jñāna). Strength and skill are portrayed as morally guided—used according to proper method and duty rather than mere aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhanada (Kubera) describes the character of humanity in the Kṛta/Satya Yuga to a Bharata prince, contrasting an earlier age of innate righteousness and well-ordered conduct with later ages where such qualities decline.