Shloka 48

अध्याय १ — न्यग्रोधवनोपवेशनम् तथा द्रौणिनिश्चयः

Night at the Banyan and Drauṇi’s Resolve

Devanagari script

पतड्डग्निसमां वृत्तिमास्थायात्मविनाशिनीम्‌ । न्यायतो युध्यमानस्य प्राणत्यागो न संशय:

Transliteration

pataṅgāgnisamāṁ vṛttim āsthāyātmavināśinīm | nyāyato yudhyamānasya prāṇatyāgo na saṁśayaḥ ||

Translation

若我采取如飞蛾扑火般的行径——那将招致自身毁灭——便毫无疑问：若我依正义与战法之规而战，我必得舍弃性命。

Word by Word

• पतङ्ग: of moths/insects
• पतङ्ग: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतङ्ग
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अग्नि: in fire
• अग्नि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• समाम्: similar
• समाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• वृत्तिम्: course/way of conduct
• वृत्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• आस्थाय: having resorted to/undertaken
• आस्थाय: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (स्था)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• आत्म: of oneself
• आत्म: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• विनाशिनीम्: destroying (one's own)
• विनाशिनीम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनाशिनी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• न्यायतः: according to justice/rightly
• न्यायतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न्याय
• Form: ablative adverb (-तः)

• युध्यमानस्य: of (one) fighting
• युध्यमानस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• प्राण: of life/breath
• प्राण: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• त्यागः: abandonment/giving up
• त्यागः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्याग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tension between a destructive resolve and righteous conduct: choosing to fight by nyāya (justice and proper rules) may demand the ultimate personal cost, yet it is presented as morally certain and binding.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker reflects that the path he has taken is like a moth rushing into fire—self-ruinous—and concludes that if he adheres to fair, rule-bound combat, his death is inevitable.