Shloka 10

Nārada’s Visit at Indraprastha and Counsel on Concord; Introduction to Sundopasunda–Tilottamā

Devanagari script

भीमसेनस्य वा राजन्नुपायकुशलैनरि: । मृत्युविधीयतां छन्नै: स हि तेषां बलाधिक:,अथवा राजन! उपायकुशल मनुष्य छिपे रहकर भीमसेनका ही वध कर डालें; क्योंकि वही पाण्डवोंमें सबसे अधिक बलवान्‌ है

Transliteration

Bhīmasenasya vā rājan upāyakusalair naraḥ | mṛtyu-vidhīyatāṃ channaiḥ sa hi teṣāṃ balādhikaḥ ||

Translation

Duryodhana sagte: „O König, ein in Listen kundiger Mann soll heimlich den Tod Bhīmasenas herbeiführen; denn unter ihnen überragt er die anderen an Kraft.“

Word by Word

भीमसेनस्यof Bhimasena

वाor

राजन्O king

उपायकुशलैःby/with those skilled in stratagems

नरैःby men

मृत्युःdeath (killing)

विधीयताम्let it be done/ordained; let (him) be put to death

छन्नैःby hidden (means/men); secretly

सःhe

हिindeed/for

तेषाम्of them (the Pandavas)

बलाधिकःsuperior in strength; strongest

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duryodhana

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

King (addressed as rājan; likely Dhṛtarāṣṭra in context)

Pāṇḍavas (implied by teṣām)

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?

The verse highlights a moral fault-line: choosing covert assassination of a rival because he is strong reflects adharma—prioritizing success through deceit over righteous, open conduct. It also shows how fear of another’s strength can drive unethical political decisions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana advises the king to have an agent skilled in stratagems secretly arrange Bhīma’s death, arguing that Bhīma is the most powerful among the Pāṇḍavas and therefore the key obstacle to their plans.