Shloka 3

Udyoga Parva, Adhyaya 52: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava Strength and the Case for Restraint

Devanagari script

यश्न सेन्द्रानिमॉल्लोकानिच्छन्‌ कुर्याद्‌ वशे बली । स स््रष्टा जगत: कृष्ण: पाण्डवानां जये धृत:

Transliteration

yaśna sendrān imāṁl lokān icchan kuryād vaśe balī | sa sraṣṭā jagataḥ kṛṣṇaḥ pāṇḍavānāṁ jaye dhṛtaḥ ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra sprach: „Ein mächtiger Mann, der nach Ruhm verlangt, könnte trachten, diese Welten — samt Indra — unter seine Gewalt zu bringen. Doch Kṛṣṇa, der Schöpfer des Universums selbst, ist fest entschlossen, den Sieg der Pāṇḍavas zu sichern.“

Word by Word

यःwho

नnot

सेन्द्रान्together with Indra (i.e., including Indra)

इमान्these

लोकान्worlds

इच्छन्wishing, desiring

कुर्यात्would make, could bring about

वशेunder control, in subjection

बलीthe powerful one

सःhe

स्रष्टाcreator

जगतःof the world

कृष्णःKrishna

पाण्डवानाम्of the Pandavas

जयेin victory, in (their) triumph

धृतःresolved/intent; firmly set (upon)

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Indra

Kṛṣṇa

Pāṇḍavas

the worlds (lokāḥ)

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?

Power and ambition may aim at dominion even over the worlds, but the decisive factor in this conflict is Kṛṣṇa’s steadfast alignment with the Pāṇḍavas—suggesting that rightful cause (dharma) gains strength when supported by divine resolve rather than mere human might.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Dhṛtarāṣṭra reflects on the scale of power and desire for fame, then acknowledges that Kṛṣṇa—described as the creator—has firmly taken the side of the Pāṇḍavas’ victory, implying a grave disadvantage for the Kauravas.