Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अहो! कायर और नपुंसककी भाँति इस समय तुम अपनेमें कुछ भी पुरुषार्थ नहीं मानते। तुम्हारे ऊपर मोह छा गया है, जिससे तुम्हारी मानसिक दशा बिगड़ गयी है ।। उद्वेपते ते हृदयं मनस्ते प्रतिसीदति । ऊरुस्तम्भगृहीतो5सि तस्मात्‌ प्रशममिच्छसि,जान पड़ता है कि तुम्हारा हृदय काँपता है, मन शिथिल होता जाता है, तुम्हारी जाँचें मानो अकड़ गयी हैं; इसीलिये तुम शान्ति चाहते हो

Transliteration

udvepate te hṛdayaṃ manas te pratīsīdati | ūrustambhagṛhīto 'si tasmāt praśamam icchasi ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Dein Herz bebt, und dein Geist sinkt in Mutlosigkeit. Als hätte Starrheit deine Schenkel gepackt, kannst du nicht voranschreiten; darum begehrst du ‚Frieden‘ — nicht aus Weisheit, sondern aus dem Zusammenbruch deines Entschlusses.“

Word by Word

उद्वेपतेtrembles, quivers

तेyour

हृदयंheart

मनःmind

तेyour

प्रतिसीदतिsinks down, becomes dejected

ऊरुस्तम्भगृहीतःseized by stiffness of the thighs (legs rigid)

असिyou are

तस्मात्therefore, from that cause

प्रशमम्calm, pacification, peace

इच्छसिyou desire, you wish

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 diagnoses moral-psychological collapse: trembling heart and sinking mind lead one to seek ‘peace’ as an escape. Ethically, it warns that true calm should arise from discernment and dharma, not from fear-driven withdrawal from rightful action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a person’s visible signs of fear and paralysis—heart trembling, mind failing, legs stiff—as a reason the person is asking for ‘praśama’ (calm/cessation). It functions as an admonitory observation within the war-counsel atmosphere of the Udyoga Parva.