Shloka 3

Adhyāya 39 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on attachment (saṅga) and relational restraint

Devanagari script

शक्र उवाच केन शम्बर वृत्तेन स्वजात्यानधितिष्ठसि । श्रेष्ठ त्वां केन मन्यन्ते तद्‌ वै प्रब्रूहि तत्त्वतः

Transliteration

śakra uvāca kena śambara vṛttena svajātyān adhitīṣṭhasi | śreṣṭha tvāṁ kena manyante tad vai prabrūhi tattvataḥ ||

Translation

释迦说道：“商婆罗啊，你以何等行持统御你的族众？他们又因何缘故推你为最上？当如实、详明地告诉我。”

Word by Word

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular

• केन: by what? / by which (means)?
• केन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• शम्बर: O Śambara
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्बर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• वृत्तेन: by conduct/behavior
• वृत्तेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्त
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• स्वजात्यान्: one's own kinsmen/people of one's kind
• स्वजात्यान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वजाति
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अधितिष्ठसि: you rule over / preside over
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-स्था
• Form: Present, 2, Singular

• श्रेष्ठ: O best (one)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• केन: by what (reason)?
• केन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• मन्यन्ते: they think/consider
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्
• Form: Present, 3, Plural

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• प्रब्रूहि: tell (forth)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र- ब्रू
• Form: Imperative, 2, Singular

• तत्त्वतः: truly / in accordance with reality
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्वतस्

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Śambara

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Leadership is grounded in vṛtta (personal conduct) and must be justifiable in truth (tattvataḥ). The verse frames authority as something earned by ethical behavior and recognized excellence, not merely by power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śakra (Indra) directly questions Śambara about the basis of his rule over his own community and asks why others consider him the best, demanding a truthful, precise explanation.