Shloka 13

Devanagari script

का प्रीति: सत्त्वयुक्तस्य कृत्वोपधिकृतं जयम्‌

Transliteration

kā prītiḥ sattvayuktasya kṛtvopadhikṛtaṃ jayam

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Welche Genugtuung kann einer empfinden, der in wahrer Tugend gegründet ist, wenn der Sieg nur durch zurechtgelegte Bedingungen und verborgene Ränke errungen wird?“

Word by Word

• का: what (kind of)
• का: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रीतिः: joy; satisfaction; affection
• प्रीतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्त्वयुक्तस्य: of one endowed with courage/virtue (sattva)
• सत्त्वयुक्तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्त्वयुक्त
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• कृत्वा: having done; having made
• कृत्वा: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• उपधिकृतम्: made conditional; made dependent on a pretext/condition
• उपधिकृतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपधिकृत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जयम्: victory
• जयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse questions the moral worth of a victory gained through upādhi—pretexts, contrivances, or hidden motives—implying that a truly sattva-grounded person finds no genuine joy in success achieved by ethically compromised means.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, reflects on the nature of victory in the war context, casting doubt on any triumph that depends on stratagems or conditional maneuvers rather than straightforward, dharmic conduct.