Shloka 52

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच इष्वस्त्रमेषां देवत्वं यज्ञ एषां सतामिव । भयं वै मानुषो भाव: परित्यागोडसतामिव,युधिष्ठिर बोले--बाण विद्या क्षत्रियोंका देवत्व है, यज्ञ उनका सत्पुरुषोंका-सा धर्म है, भय मानवीय भाव है और शरणमें आये हुए दु:खियोंका परित्याग कर देना उनमें असत्पुरुषोंका-सा आचरण है

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | iṣv-astram eṣāṁ devatvaṁ yajña eṣāṁ satām iva | bhayaṁ vai mānuṣo bhāvaḥ parityāgo ’satām iva ||

Translation

尤提施提罗说：“对这些刹帝利而言，精通弓矢与兵器便是其神性；祭祀（yajña）是他们如同正直之人的法。恐惧确是人之情；但将困厄中前来求庇护者弃之不顾，乃是不义之徒的行径。”

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

उवाचsaid

इष्वस्त्रम्archery/weapon-skill (arrow-weapon)

एषाम्of these (people)

देवत्वम्divinity; godlike status

यज्ञःsacrifice; ritual offering

एषाम्of these (people)

सताम्of the good/virtuous

इवlike; as

भयम्fear

वैindeed

मानुषःhuman

भावःstate; disposition; nature

परित्यागःabandonment; forsaking

असताम्of the wicked/non-virtuous

इवlike; as

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

kṣatriyas (warrior class)

iṣu/astra (arrows/weapons)

yajña (sacrifice)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A kṣatriya’s true ‘divinity’ is disciplined martial skill used in service of dharma; fear may arise naturally, but abandoning those who seek protection—especially the distressed—is condemned as unrighteous conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira articulates a moral standard for warriors: their vocation includes sacrifice-like duty and the obligation to protect the vulnerable; he contrasts understandable human fear with the unacceptable act of forsaking those who have taken refuge.