Shloka 20

भीष्मद्रोणयोर्दुर्योधनं प्रति शान्त्युपदेशः | Bhīṣma and Droṇa’s Counsel to Duryodhana for Pacification

Devanagari script

यावनाथौ चरिष्येते त्वया नाथेन दुर्हदा । हतमित्रौ हतामात्यौ लूनपक्षाविवाण्डजौ

Transliteration

yāvanāthau cariṣyete tvayā nāthena durhṛdā | hatamitrau hatāmātyau lūnapakṣāv ivāṇḍajau ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Solange jene beiden, ohne Schutz und Beistand, unter dir weiterleben müssen — unter einem unfreundlichen Hüter — werden sie sein wie zwei Vögel mit gestutzten Flügeln: ihre Verbündeten erschlagen, ihre Ratgeber vernichtet, machtlos zurückgelassen und außerstande zu handeln.“

Word by Word

यावas long as / so long (as the two)

नाथौtwo lords/protectors

चरिष्येतेwill move/act/live

त्वयाby you

नाथेनas (their) protector/lord

दुर्हदाhard to subdue/overcome

हतslain/destroyed

मित्रौtwo friends/allies

हतslain/destroyed

अमात्यौtwo ministers/counsellors

लूनcut off/clipped

पक्षौtwo wings

इवlike/as

अण्डजौtwo birds (egg-born creatures)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

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 failure of ‘protection’ that is hostile in intent: when those who should be safeguarded are placed under an ill-wisher, they become effectively incapacitated—stripped of support, counsel, and agency—like birds whose wings are cut.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a situation in which two persons, lacking true protectors and forced to live under a hostile authority, are portrayed as politically and practically powerless—having lost allies and ministers—using the vivid simile of wing-clipped birds.