Shloka 30

Devanagari script

त्वमस्य मूलं वैरस्थ तस्मादासादयार्जुनम्‌ । एष ते मातुल: प्राज्ञ: क्षत्रधर्ममनुव्रत:

Transliteration

tvam asya mūlaṃ vairastha tasmād āsādayārjunam | eṣa te mātulaḥ prājñaḥ kṣatradharmam anuvrataḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Du bist die eigentliche Wurzel dieser Feindschaft; darum geh und stell dich Arjuna. Hier ist dein Onkel mütterlicherseits—weise und standhaft im Kriegerkodex—bereit, gemäß der Pflicht eines Kṣatriya zu handeln.“

Word by Word

त्वम्you

अस्यof this (matter/person)

मूलम्the root/cause

वैindeed

अरिस्थO one standing among enemies / O enemy-situated one

तस्मात्therefore / from that reason

आसादयapproach / attack / confront

अर्जुनम्Arjuna

एषःthis (man) / he here

तेyour

मातुलःmaternal uncle

प्राज्ञःwise

क्षत्रधर्मम्the duty/law of a kshatriya

अनुव्रतःdevoted to / following

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Arjuna

mātula (maternal uncle of the addressed person)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse assigns moral causality: one who is the ‘root’ of hostility bears responsibility to face its consequences. It also frames action within kṣatriya-dharma—engagement in battle is presented as a duty-bound response rather than mere personal rage.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports an exhortation directed at a warrior: since he is deemed the origin of the feud, he should go to meet Arjuna in combat. The speaker also points to the warrior’s maternal uncle as a wise ally who adheres to the warrior code, implying support and reinforcement for the impending confrontation.