Shloka 38

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्‌ विनिहते पार्थे पाण्डवा: सृञज्जयै: सह । भविष्यन्ति गतात्मान: सुरा इव निरग्नय:

Transliteration

tasmin vinihate pārthe pāṇḍavāḥ sṛñjayaiḥ saha | bhaviṣyanti gatātmānaḥ surā iva niragnayaḥ ||

Translation

Wenn jener Pārtha (Arjuna) erschlagen ist, werden die Pāṇḍava zusammen mit den Sṛñjaya wie des Lebens und des Geistes beraubt sein—wie die Götter selbst, wenn ihnen das heilige Feuer entzogen wird.

Word by Word

तस्मिन्in that (situation/time)

विनिहतेwhen (he) is slain

पार्थेin/when Partha (Arjuna)

पाण्डवाःthe Pandavas

सृञ्जयैःwith the Srijayas

सहtogether with

भविष्यन्तिwill become / will be

गतात्मानःwhose spirit is gone; lifeless

सुराःgods

इवlike, as

निरग्नयःwithout fire; fireless

Speaker

श्रीवायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyudeva

Pārtha (Arjuna)

Pāṇḍavas

Sṛñjayas

Suras (Devas)

Agni (sacred fire)

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 the ethical and psychological truth that dharmic struggle depends not only on numbers or weapons but on sustaining inner resolve (symbolized by Agni). The loss of a central righteous leader can extinguish collective courage, making even the mighty feel powerless.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva foretells that if Pārtha (Arjuna) is killed, the Pāṇḍavas and their Sṛñjaya allies will become utterly dispirited—likened to the gods without fire—indicating a catastrophic collapse of morale and capacity to continue the war.