Shloka 503
अध्याय १ — न्यग्रोधवनोपवेशनम् तथा द्रौणिनिश्चयः
Night at the Banyan and Drauṇi’s Resolve
Devanagari script
कर्तव्यं तन्मनुष्येण क्षत्रधर्मेण वर्तता । “इस लोकमें जिस कार्यको गर्हणीय समझा जाता हो
Transliteration
kartavyaṁ tanmanuṣyeṇa kṣatradharmeṇa vartatā |
Translation
三阇耶说道：“对于遵行刹帝利之法者，此举亦当视为职责——纵然在此世间它被认为可憎，并为众人一致严厉谴责。”
Word by Word
कर्तव्यम्to be done; duty
कर्तव्यम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootकर्तव्य (√कृ + तव्य)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
तत्that
तत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
मनुष्येणby a man
मनुष्येण:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootमनुष्य
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
क्षत्रधर्मेणby/according to the Kshatriya-duty
क्षत्रधर्मेण:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootक्षत्रधर्म
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
वर्तताacting/behaving (as one who follows)
वर्तता:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootवर्तत् (√वृत्, वर्तते)
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts that within kṣatriya-dharma, an act may be deemed obligatory even when ordinary social morality condemns it; duty is being defined by one’s role-based dharma rather than by public approval.
In the Sauptika Parva’s opening context, Sañjaya is describing a grim wartime rationale: actions taken under the warrior code are being presented as ‘duty’ even when they appear reprehensible to the wider world.