Shloka 20

यस्मिज्जयाशां पुत्राणां सममन्यत पार्थिव: । तस्मिन्‌ हते स कौरव्य: कथं प्राणानधारयत्‌,कुरुवंशी राजाने जिसके ऊपर अपने पुत्रोंकी विजयकी आशा बाँध रखी थी, उसके मारे जानेपर उन्होंने कैसे प्राण धारण किये?

yasmin jayāśāṃ putrāṇāṃ samamanyata pārthivaḥ | tasmin hate sa kauravyaḥ kathaṃ prāṇān adhārayat |

Janamejaya sprach: „Da jener König all seine Hoffnung auf den Sieg seiner Söhne auf ihn gesetzt hatte – wie konnte der Kuruprinz (Duryodhana) weiterleben, nachdem er erschlagen worden war?“

यस्मिन्in whom/wherein
यस्मिन्:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular
जयाशाम्hope of victory
जयाशाम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootजय-आशा
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
पुत्राणाम्of (his) sons
पुत्राणाम्:
Sambandha
TypeNoun
Rootपुत्र
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
समम्equal(ly)
समम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootसम
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
मन्यतthought/considered
मन्यत:
TypeVerb
Rootमन्
FormImperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
पार्थिवःthe king
पार्थिवः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपार्थिव
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तस्मिन्in him/when he
तस्मिन्:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular
हतेhaving been slain
हते:
TypeParticiple
Rootहन्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular, Past passive participle
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
कौरव्यःthe Kaurava (king)
कौरव्यः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकौरव्य
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
कथम्how
कथम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम्
प्राणान्life-breaths; life
प्राणान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootप्राण
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
अधारयत्held up/sustained
अधारयत्:
TypeVerb
Rootधृ
FormImperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

जनमेजय उवाच

J
Janamejaya
K
Kauravya (Duryodhana)
P
Pārthiva (the king)
P
Putrāḥ (sons)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights the fragility of worldly reliance: when a ruler’s hopes are fastened to a single champion, the champion’s fall can shatter morale and purpose, exposing how attachment to victory and power intensifies suffering.

Janamejaya asks the narrator how Duryodhana could endure living after the death of the warrior on whom the king had pinned his expectation of his sons’ victory—an inquiry that sets up the emotional and strategic crisis following that hero’s fall.