अशूरेण हतः शूर एकेनाऽपि हतं शतम् । प्राकृताः प्रभुतां याताः सर्वमावर्त्यते जगत् ॥ ३५ ॥
aśūrēṇa hataḥ śūra ēkēnā’pi hataṁ śatam | prākṛtāḥ prabhutāṁ yātāḥ sarvamāvartyatē jagat || 35 ||
Translation
The hero is killed by a coward, a hundred are killed by one; common men come to lordship: the whole world is turned about.
Word by word
- aśūrēṇa
- by a coward
- hataḥ
- is killed
- śūra
- (śūraḥ) the hero
- ēkēna
- by one
- api
- even
- hataṁ
- are killed
- śatam
- a hundred
- prākṛtāḥ
- common men
- prabhutāṁ
- to lordship
- yātāḥ
- come
- sarvam
- the whole
- āvartyatē
- is turned about
- jagat
- world
Meaning
Reversals of fortune among people: the brave die at the hands of the weak, one man kills a hundred, the low rise to rule. The commentary: the whole world spins round. The verse gives the reader no ground for trusting merit, strength or birth to decide their fate.