Shloka 23

Adhyaya 11 — Draupadī’s Grief, Demand for Justice, and Bhīma’s Departure

Devanagari script

इत्युक्त्वा पाण्डवं कृष्णा राजानं चारुदर्शना

Transliteration

ity uktvā pāṇḍavaṁ kṛṣṇā rājānaṁ cārudarśanā | jahi taṁ pāpakarmāṇaṁ śambaraṁ maghavān iva || nahi te vikrame tulyaḥ pumān astīha kaścana ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Nachdem sie so geredet hatte, drängte Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī), die anmutig anzuschauende Königin, den Pāṇḍava-König: „Erschlage jenen Täter sündiger Werke — wie Maghavān (Indra) Śambara erschlug. In dieser Welt gibt es keinen Mann, der dir an Tapferkeit gleichkäme.“

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• उक्त्वा: having said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), parasmaipada (sense), prior action

• पाण्डवम्: the Pandava (Yudhishthira)
• पाण्डवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• कृष्णा: Krishnaa (Draupadi)
• कृष्णा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णा
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• चारु-दर्शना: of lovely appearance
• चारु-दर्शना: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चारुदर्शन
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• जहि: slay!
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 2nd, singular, parasmaipada

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• पाप-कर्माणम्: of sinful deeds
• पाप-कर्माणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापकर्मन्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• शम्बरम्: Shambara
• शम्बरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्बर
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• मघवान्: Maghavan (Indra)
• मघवान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मघवन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• नहि: indeed not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नहि

• ते: of you, your
• ते: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: genitive, singular, 2nd

• विक्रमॆ: in prowess
• विक्रमॆ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विक्रम
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• तुल्यः: equal
• तुल्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• पुमान्: a man
• पुमान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• अस्ति: is
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: लट् (present), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• इह: here, in this world
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• कश्चन: anyone
• कश्चन: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: कश्चन
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• वीर: O hero!
• वीर: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī)
• Pāṇḍava king (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Śambara
• Maghavān (Indra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical demand that grave wrongdoing be met with decisive justice, invoking a heroic precedent (Indra vs. Śambara) to strengthen the king’s resolve and to frame punishment of adharma as a ruler’s duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Draupadī addresses the Pāṇḍava king and exhorts him to kill the sinful offender (understood in context as Aśvatthāmā), comparing the act to Indra’s slaying of the demon Śambara and praising the king’s unmatched valor.