Shloka 22

Devanagari script

त्वया शक्तेन हि सता मिथ्याचारेण माधव । ते परीताः कुरुश्रेष्ठा नश्यन्तः सम ह्ुपेक्षिता:,माधव! कितने खेदकी बात है, तुमने समर्थ होते हुए भी मिथ्याचारका आश्रय लिया। युद्धमें सब ओरसे आये हुए वे श्रेष्ठ कुरुवंशी नष्ट हो गये और तुमने उनकी उपेक्षा कर दी

Transliteration

tvayā śaktena hi satā mithyācāreṇa mādhava | te parītāḥ kuruśreṣṭhā naśyantaḥ sam-upekṣitāḥ ||

Translation

O Mādhava, obwohl du vollauf dazu imstande warst, hast du einen trügerischen Weg des Handelns gewählt. Jene erlesensten Männer aus dem Geschlecht der Kuru, im Kampf von allen Seiten eingeschlossen, wurden vernichtet—während du gleichgültig zusahst. Ach, welch überaus beklagenswerte Sache ist dies!

Word by Word

त्वयाby you

शक्तेनbeing able/capable

हिindeed/for

सताbeing (so), existing; (here) while being

मिथ्या-आचारेणby false conduct/false practice

माधवO Mādhava

तेthey/those

परीताःsurrounded/encircled

कुरुश्रेष्ठाःthe best of the Kurus

नश्यन्तःperishing/being destroyed

सम्completely/altogether

उपेक्षिताःneglected/overlooked

Speaker

उत्तडुक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa)

Kuruśreṣṭhāḥ (foremost Kurus)

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 frames an ethical accusation: capability entails responsibility. If one has the power to prevent harm, choosing a deceptive or improper course and remaining indifferent to others' destruction is portrayed as morally blameworthy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Uttaṅka addresses Kṛṣṇa (Mādhava) with reproach, lamenting that despite Kṛṣṇa's power, the foremost Kuru warriors were surrounded and perished in the war, and Kṛṣṇa is accused of having neglected them and followed a questionable strategy or conduct.