Shloka 2
Adhyāya 9: Pratiśruta-Dāna
The Duty to Fulfill Promised Gifts
Devanagari script
एतनमे तत्त्वतो ब्रूहि धर्म धर्मभूतां वर । प्रतिश्रुत्य दुरात्मानो न प्रयच्छन्ति ये नरा:
Transliteration
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
etan me tattvato brūhi dharma-dharma-bhūtāṃ vara |
pratiśrutya durātmāno na prayacchanti ye narāḥ ||
Translation
尤提湿提罗说道：“诸持法者之最胜者啊，请依正法如实告我：那些心怀恶念之人，既已许诺却不施其所誓者，将成何等？”
Word by Word
एतत्this (matter)
एतत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
मेto me
मे:
Sampradana
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormDative, Singular
तत्त्वतःin truth; accurately
तत्त्वतः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतत्त्वतः
ब्रूहिtell (you)
ब्रूहि:
TypeVerb
Rootब्रू (ब्रवीति)
FormImperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada
धर्मO Dharma (personified); O righteous one
धर्म:
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
धर्मभूताम्one who is of the nature of dharma; righteous (fem.)
धर्मभूताम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootधर्मभूत
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
वरO best; O excellent one
वर:
TypeNoun
Rootवर
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
प्रतिश्रुत्यhaving promised
प्रतिश्रुत्य:
TypeVerb
Rootप्रतिश्रु (धातु: श्रु) / प्रतिश्रुति
Formक्त्वा (absolutive), Parasmaipada (usage)
दुरात्मानःevil-souled (people)
दुरात्मानः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदुरात्मन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
प्रयच्छन्तिthey give; they hand over
प्रयच्छन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-यम् (यच्छति)
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
येwho
ये:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
नराःmen; people
नराः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
Speaker
युधिछिर उवाच
Characters & Entities
Y
YudhiṣṭhiraCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse frames promise-keeping as a central obligation of dharma: making a pledge—especially regarding giving—and then withholding it is treated as a moral failure that warrants ethical scrutiny and consequences.
Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking clarity on righteous conduct, asks an elder authority on dharma to explain the true status or fate of people who promise to give but later refuse to fulfill their pledge.