Shloka 28

भीष्मविक्रमदर्शनं तथा क्रौञ्चारुणव्यूहविधानम् | Bhīṣma’s Ascendancy and the Organization of the Krauñcāruṇa Formation

Devanagari script

असुक्त:* प्रकृते:९ स्तब्ध: शठो नैष्कृतिकोडलस: । विषादी दीर्घसूत्री च कर्ता तामस उच्यते,जो कर्ता अयुक्त, शिक्षासे रहित, घमंडी<, धूर्त” और दूसरोंकी जीविकाका नाश करनेवाला5* तथा शोक करनेवाला आलसी-* और दीर्घसूत्री:: है--वह तामस कहा जाता हैः5

Transliteration

ayuktaḥ prakṛtaḥ stabdhaḥ śaṭho naiṣkṛtiko 'lasaḥ | viṣādī dīrghasūtrī ca kartā tāmasa ucyate ||

Translation

阿周那说：那种行事之人若无自律、未受陶冶，顽固而傲慢，狡诈而怀恶意，懒惰且沉溺忧悲，又因拖延而推迟行动——此等作者被宣说为具“昏暗之性”，即怠惰的塔摩斯性（tāmasika）。

Word by Word

अयुक्तःundisciplined / improper

प्रकृतेःof (his) nature / disposition

स्तब्धःstiff / arrogant / obstinate

शठःdeceitful / rogue

नैष्कृतिकःharmful / destructive (to others’ livelihood)

अलसःlazy

विषादीdespondent / grieving

दीर्घसूत्रीprocrastinating / dilatory

चand

कर्ताdoer / agent

तामसःtamasic (of darkness/ignorance)

उच्यतेis said / is called

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A tamasic agent is defined by lack of discipline and refinement, stubborn ego, deceit and harmful intent, inertia, sorrowful dejection, and procrastination. Such traits corrupt action and undermine dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of the Kurukṣetra setting, Arjuna continues a doctrinal description of types of agents (kartā) according to the three guṇas, here identifying the tamasic doer by a cluster of ethically negative dispositions.