Shloka 37

Devanagari script

मिथ्याभिगृथ्नो हि नर: पापात्मा मोहमास्थित: । अयशः प्राप्तुयाद्‌ घोरं महद्‌ वा प्राप्तुयाद्‌ भयम्‌,झूठे विषयोंमें आसक्त होनेवाला पापात्मा मनुष्य मोहमें पड़कर भयंकर अपयश पाता है अथवा उसे बड़े भारी भय (मृत्यु) का सामना करना पड़ता है

Transliteration

mithyābhigṛhṇo hi naraḥ pāpātmā moham āsthitaḥ | ayaśaḥ prāpnuyād ghoraṃ mahad vā prāpnuyād bhayam ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：“罪人执著于虚妄，陷入迷惑，必将招致可怖的恶名——否则也会被逼至面对巨大的恐惧，乃至死亡。”

Word by Word

मिथ्याfalsely; in vain

अभिगृह्णन्seizing/accepting (eagerly), grasping

हिindeed; for

नरःman; person

पापात्माsinful-souled (wicked person)

मोहम्delusion

आस्थितःhaving resorted to; having entered (into)

अयशःdisgrace; ill-fame

प्राप्तुयात्may obtain; would obtain

घोरम्terrible; dreadful

महत्great; severe

वाor

प्राप्तुयात्may obtain; would obtain

भयम्fear; danger

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

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?

Clinging to falsehood and living under delusion leads to inevitable consequences: either severe loss of honor (ayaśas) or overwhelming danger (bhaya), potentially death. The verse frames truthfulness and clear-mindedness as safeguards of both reputation and life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana delivers a general moral observation within the Virāṭa-parvan context, emphasizing how delusion-driven attachment to false or improper objects/aims results in ruin. It functions as an ethical warning that supports the broader narrative tension of concealment, risk, and the stakes of right conduct during the Pāṇḍavas’ incognito period.