Shloka 34

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 47 — Arjuna’s Deterrent Declaration

Sañjaya’s Report

Devanagari script

प्रभद्रका: शीघ्रतरा युवानो विशारदा: सिंहसमानवीर्या: । यदा क्षेप्तारो धार्तराष्ट्रानू ससैन्यां- स्तदा युद्ध धार्तराष्ट्रोडन्वतप्स्यत्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

prabhadrakāḥ śīghratarā yuvāno viśāradāḥ siṃhasamānavīryāḥ |

yadā kṣeptāro dhārtarāṣṭrān sa-sainyāṃs tadā yuddhe dhārtarāṣṭro 'nutapsyati ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Die Prabhadraka-Jünglinge—schnell im Handeln, kundig in den Künsten des Krieges und löwenhaft an Mut—wenn sie die Söhne Dhṛtarāṣṭras samt ihren Heeren niederwerfen und zurückdrängen, dann wird Duryodhana mitten in der Schlacht vor Reue brennen und denken: ‚Warum habe ich diesen Krieg begonnen?‘“

Word by Word

• प्रभद्रकाः: the Prabhadrakas (people of Prabhadraka)
• प्रभद्रकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभद्रक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शीघ्रतराः: very swift / swifter
• शीघ्रतराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीघ्रतर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• युवानः: young men
• युवानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युवन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विशारदाः: skilled, expert
• विशारदाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशारद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सिंहसमानवीर्याः: having valor equal to a lion
• सिंहसमानवीर्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिंह-समान-वीर्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा

• क्षेप्तारः: throwers / hurlers (attackers)
• क्षेप्तारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेप्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• धार्तराष्ट्रान्: the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Kauravas)
• धार्तराष्ट्रान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• ससैन्यान्: together with their army
• ससैन्यान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-सैन्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• धार्तराष्ट्रः: Duryodhana / the Dhārtarāṣṭra (chief Kaurava)
• धार्तराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अनुतप्स्यत्: will regret / will repent
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Prabhadrakas
• Dhārtarāṣṭras (sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra / Kauravas)
• Duryodhana
• army (sainyāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Aggression rooted in pride and injustice leads to foreseeable suffering: when capable opponents strike back, the instigator is left with remorse. The verse underscores ethical causality—choosing war against dharma brings bitter consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya foretells battlefield outcomes: the swift, war-skilled Prabhadraka youths will rout the Dhārtarāṣṭras along with their troops, and Duryodhana will feel intense regret for having initiated the conflict.