Shloka 13

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 3 — Sātyaki on Inner Disposition, Legitimacy, and Coercive Readiness

Devanagari script

पादयो: पातयिष्यामि कौन्तेयस्य महात्मन: । मैं तो रणभूमिमें पैने बाणोंसे उन्हें बलपूर्वक मनाकर महात्मा कुन्तीनन्दन युधिष्ठिरके चरणोंमें गिरा दूँगा ।। अथ ते न व्यवस्यन्ति प्रणिपाताय धीमत:

Transliteration

pādayoḥ pātayiṣyāmi kaunteyasya mahātmanaḥ | atha te na vyavasyanti praṇipātāya dhīmataḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: „Ich werde ihn zu den Füßen des großherzigen Sohnes der Kuntī niederfallen lassen. Doch jene Weisen fassen keinen Entschluss, sich in Unterwerfung zu verneigen.“

Word by Word

पादयोःat/on the two feet

पातयिष्यामिI will cause to fall / I will throw down

कौन्तेयस्यof Kuntī's son (Kunteya)

महात्मनःof the great-souled

अथthen/now

तेthey

नnot

व्यवस्यन्तिthey decide / resolve

प्रणिपातायfor prostration / for bowing down

धीमतःof the wise/intelligent one

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Kaunteya (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Kuntī

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 praṇipāta (humble submission) as a moral means to restore harmony: acknowledging the righteous authority of the dhārmic king (Kaunteya/Yudhiṣṭhira) is presented as an ethical step toward reconciliation, while refusal to bow signals hardened resolve and impending conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates an intention to compel someone to submit by falling at Yudhiṣṭhira’s feet, but notes that certain wise persons do not choose to make such a prostration—indicating resistance to reconciliation and the tension leading toward war.