Shloka 85

कर्णनिधनवृत्तान्तनिवेदनम् | Reporting Karṇa’s Fall to Yudhiṣṭhira

Devanagari script

अथर्वाड़िरसी होषा श्रुतीनामुत्तमा श्रुति: । अविचार्यव कार्यषा श्रेयस्कामैनरै: सदा

Transliteration

atharvāṅgirasī hoṣā śrutīnām uttamā śrutiḥ | avicāryaiva kartavyā śreyaskāmair naraiḥ sadā ||

Translation

伐由说道：“有一则属于阿闼婆梵与安吉罗的神圣宣说——在诸‘闻传’（śruti）之中被数为至高的训诫。凡求自身真实福祉者，当恒常依之而行，不可因过度思量而踌躇。”

Word by Word

• अथर्वाङ्गिरसी: the Atharva-Aṅgirasa (Vedic) recension/śruti
• अथर्वाङ्गिरसी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अथर्वाङ्गिरसी (श्रुति-विशेष-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रुतीनाम्: of (all) śrutis / Vedic revelations
• श्रुतीनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• उत्तमा: the best, supreme
• उत्तमा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रुतिः: śruti, revelation
• श्रुतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अविचार्य: without deliberating / without considering
• अविचार्य: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + चर् (धातु) → विचार्य; उपसर्ग-निषेधेन अविचार्य
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), avyaya

• कार्यः: to be done / should be done
• कार्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रेयस्कामैः: by those desiring welfare/the good
• श्रेयस्कामैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• नरैः: by men, by people
• नरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा
• Form: Avyaya

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• Atharvan
• Aṅgiras
• Śruti

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse elevates a particular Atharvan–Aṅgiras tradition as a supreme śruti and urges those who seek lasting good (śreyas) to follow its directive as a clear duty—steadfastly, without paralyzing hesitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva speaks as an authoritative voice, invoking Vedic legitimacy (śruti) to ground ethical conduct: he points to a revered injunction and frames obedience to it as the reliable path to welfare.