संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
दुर्योधनःduryodhanaḥDuryodhana
मन्युमयःmanyu-mayaḥembodied wrath; made of malice
महाद्रुमःmahā-drumaḥa great tree
स्कन्धःskandhaḥtrunk
कर्णःkarṇaḥKarna
शकुनिःśakuniḥShakuni
तस्यtasyahis
शाखाःśākhāḥbranches
दुःशासनःduḥśāsanaḥDuhshasana
पुष्पफलेpuṣpa-phaleflowers and fruits
समृद्धेsamṛddheabundant; luxuriant; plentiful
मूलम्mūlamroot
राजाrājāking
धृतराष्ट्रःdhṛtarāṣṭraḥDhritarashtra
अमनीषीamanīṣīunwise; devoid of wisdom
युधिष्ठिरःyudhiṣṭhiraḥYudhishthira
धर्ममयःdharma-mayaḥembodied dharma; made of righteousness
स्कन्धःskandhaḥtrunk
अर्जुनःarjunaḥArjuna
भीमसेनःbhīmasenaḥBhimasena
अस्यasyaits
शाखाःśākhāḥbranches
माद्रीसुतौmādrī-sutauthe two sons of Madri (Nakula and Sahadeva)
पुष्पफलेpuṣpa-phaleflowers and fruits
समृद्धेsamṛddheabundant; luxuriant
मूलम्mūlamroot; foundation
कृष्णःkṛṣṇaḥKrishna (the Lord)
ब्रह्मbrahmaBrahman; the sacred (brahma); the Vedic principle
चcaand
ब्राह्मणाःbrāhmaṇāḥbrahmanas
चcaand
दुर्योधनोduryodhanooriginal form "duryodhano", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
मन्युमयोmanyumayooriginal form "manyumayo", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
महाद्रुमःmahādrumaḥoriginal form "mahādrumaḥ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
शकुनिस्śakunisoriginal form "śakunis", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
पुष्पफलेpuṣpaphaleoriginal form "puṣpaphale", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
मूलंmūlaṃoriginal form "mūlaṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
धृतराष्ट्रोdhṛtarāṣṭrooriginal form "dhṛtarāṣṭro", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ऽमनीषी'manīṣīoriginal form "'manīṣī", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
युधिष्ठिरोyudhiṣṭhirooriginal form "yudhiṣṭhiro", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
धर्ममयोdharmamayooriginal form "dharmamayo", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
महाद्रुमःmahādrumaḥoriginal form "mahādrumaḥ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
स्कन्धोskandhooriginal form "skandho", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ऽर्जुनो'rjunooriginal form "'rjuno", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
भीमसेनोbhīmasenooriginal form "bhīmaseno", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ऽस्य'syaoriginal form "'sya", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
माद्रीसुतौmādrīsutauoriginal form "mādrīsutau", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
पुष्पफलेpuṣpaphaleoriginal form "puṣpaphale", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
मूलंmūlaṃoriginal form "mūlaṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
कृष्णोkṛṣṇooriginal form "kṛṣṇo", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ब्राह्मणाश्brāhmaṇāśoriginal form "brāhmaṇāś", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
Two great "trees" stand opposed to each other. The tree of wrath (adharma) is rooted in the blind, unwise Dhritarashtra, and however mighty its trunk and branches — Karna, Shakuni — it has no true root, and so it is doomed to fall. The tree of dharma, by contrast, is rooted in Krishna Himself. Here lies the heart of this verse and of the whole Mahabharata: "the root of the tree of dharma is Krishna" (mūlaṃ kṛṣṇaḥ). Dharma has no independent existence of its own: it rests upon the Lord. True righteousness is that which is rooted in Him and in His devotees (the brahmanas, in the sacred principle). The word "Brahman" here should be understood not as an impersonal void but as the Vedic, spiritual principle that itself proceeds from Krishna, for it is said: "I am the basis of the Brahman" (Gita 14.27). The Pandavas flourish because their root is Krishna; take refuge in Him, and you too become an unshakable tree of dharma.