Shloka 11

Devanagari script

मया प्रतिज्ञा महती जयद्रथवधे कृता । श्वो5स्मि हन्ता दुरात्मानं पुत्रध्नमिति केशव,“केशव! मैंने जयद्रथ-वधके लिये यह भारी प्रतिज्ञा कर ली है कि कल मैं अपने पुत्रके घातक दुरात्मा सिंधुराजको अवश्य मार डालूँगा

Transliteration

mayā pratijñā mahatī jayadratha-vadhe kṛtā | śvo 'smi hantā durātmānaṃ putra-dhnam iti keśava ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O Keśava, I have made a great vow concerning the slaying of Jayadratha: tomorrow I shall kill that wicked man—the slayer of my son.”

Word by Word

मयाby me

प्रतिज्ञाa vow, a pledge

महतीgreat, mighty

जयद्रथ-वधेin/for the slaying of Jayadratha

कृताmade, undertaken

श्वःtomorrow

अस्मिI am

हन्ताslayer; one who will kill

दुरात्मानम्the wicked-souled one

पुत्रध्नम्son-slayer (killer of my son)

इतिthus, saying

केशवO Keshava

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

Jayadratha (Sindhurāja)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral weight of a solemn vow (pratijñā) in a dharmic framework: once publicly undertaken—especially by a warrior in crisis—it becomes an ethical obligation that shapes action, even amid intense personal grief.

What is happening in the narrative?

A great vow has been made to kill Jayadratha, identified as the ‘son-slayer.’ The speaker addresses Keśava (Kṛṣṇa), declaring that the killing will be accomplished the next day, setting the urgency and stakes for the coming battle.