Shloka 20

Drupada’s Alarm and Inquiry Regarding Śikhaṇḍinī (द्रुपदस्य भय-विमर्शः)

Devanagari script

यदुक्त तेन वीरेण राज्ञा काउ्चनवर्मणा । यत्‌ तेडहमधमाचार दुह्ित्रास्म्यभिवज्चित:

Transliteration

yad uktaṃ tena vīreṇa rājñā kāñcanavarmaṇā | yat te 'ham adhamācāra duhitrasmy abhivañcitaḥ, uddhariṣyāmi te sadyaḥ sāmātya-suta-bāndhavam ||

Translation

قال بهيشما: «اسمعوا الرسالة التي بعث بها ذلك الملك البطل كانچانافَرمان: “أيها الملك، يا دنيءَ السيرة! لقد خُدِعتُ بسبب ابنتك. ذلك الإثم إثمُك؛ فذُق عاقبته. اخرج إلى ساحة القتال وامنحني فرصة المبارزة. في هذا اليوم نفسه سأقتلع سلالتك كلها من جذورها—مع وزرائك وأبنائك وأقربائك.”»

Word by Word

• यत्: what/that which
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• उक्तम्: said/spoken
• उक्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: kta (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वीरेण: by the hero
• वीरेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• काञ्चनवर्मणा: by (king) Kāñcanavarman
• काञ्चनवर्मणा: Karana
• Type: ProperNoun
• Root: काञ्चनवर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• यत्: which/that which
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• ते: to you/for you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Dative/Genitive, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• अधमाचार: O vile-conducted one
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधमाचार
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• दुहित्रा: by (your) daughter
• दुहित्रा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुहितृ
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• अस्मि: am
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present (Lat), 1st, Singular

• अभिवञ्चितः: deceived/cheated
• Type: Verb
• Root: वञ्च्
• Form: kta (past passive participle) with abhi-, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उद्धरिष्यामि: I will uproot/tear out
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-हृ
• Form: Future (Lrt), 1st, Singular

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• सद्यः: immediately
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यस्

• सामात्यसुतबान्धवम्: together with ministers, sons, and kinsmen
• सामात्यसुतबान्धवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-अमात्य-सुत-बान्धव
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Kāñcanavarman
• a king addressed as 'rājan' (unnamed here)
• the king's daughter (unnamed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames deception and sexual/political wrongdoing as generating moral culpability and consequences, and it shows a kshatriya-style demand for accountability: the wrongdoer (or the one held responsible) must face the results, here expressed as a challenge to battle and a threat of total destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma reports a hostile message from King Kāñcanavarman to another king. Kāñcanavarman accuses the king of wrongdoing connected with the king’s daughter, claims he has been deceived, and issues an ultimatum: meet him in battle, or he will immediately destroy the king’s entire family line along with ministers, sons, and relatives.