Shloka 273

Devanagari script

तस्मात्‌ सर्वेषु भूतेषु दया कार्या विपश्चिता । भारत! यह बात निश्चितरूपसे कही जा सकती है कि प्राणियोंको अपने आत्मासे अधिक प्रिय कोई भी वस्तु नहीं है; इसीलिये मरना किसी भी प्राणीको अच्छा नहीं लगता; अतः विद्वान्‌ पुरुषको सभी प्राणियोंपर दया करनी चाहिये

Transliteration

tasmāt sarveṣu bhūteṣu dayā kāryā vipaścitā | bhārata! iyaṃ bāt niścitarūpase kahī jā sakatī hai ki prāṇiyoṃ ko apane ātmā se adhika priya koī bhī vastu nahīṃ hai; isīliye maranā kisī bhī prāṇī ko acchā nahīṃ lagatā; ataḥ vidvān puruṣa ko sabhī prāṇiyoṃ par dayā karanī cāhiye |

Translation

因此，智者当于一切众生修习慈悲。噢婆罗多！可以确言：对任何生灵而言，没有什么比自身更为可爱；因此，死亡于谁都不为可喜。故而，学识之士应对一切有情施以怜悯与仁爱。

Word by Word

तस्मात्therefore/from that

सर्वेषुin all

भूतेषुbeings/creatures

दयाcompassion

कार्याto be done/should be practiced

विपश्चिताby the wise person

भारतO Bharata

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

Bhārata

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?

The verse teaches universal compassion: since every being values its own life above all else and none welcomes death, the wise should practice mercy toward all creatures.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Strī Parva’s aftermath of the Kurukṣetra war, Vidura addresses ‘Bhārata’ (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) with moral counsel, urging compassion and restraint as a dharmic response to the suffering and loss surrounding them.