Shloka 5

Devanagari script

स दृष्टवा नृपशार्दूलं शार्टूल्समविक्रमम्‌ । हर्षकाले च सम्प्राप्ते किमिदे मोहकारितम्‌,“सिंहके समान पराक्रमी नृपश्रेष्ठ युधिष्ठिरको स्वस्थ देखकर जब तुम्हारे लिये हर्षका अवसर आया है, ऐसे समयमें यह मोहकारित कौन-सा कृत्य होने जा रहा है?

Transliteration

sa dṛṣṭvā nṛpaśārdūlaṃ śārdūlasamavikramaṃ | harṣakāle ca samprāpte kim idaṃ mohakāritam ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Seeing King Yudhiṣṭhira—the tiger among men—safe and possessed of tiger-like valor, when the moment calls for joy, what is this delusion-driven course of action that is about to be undertaken?”

Word by Word

सःhe

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

नृपशार्दूलम्the tiger among kings (best of kings)

शार्दूलसमविक्रमम्whose valor is equal to a tiger / tiger-like in prowess

हर्षकालेat the time of joy

चand

सम्प्राप्तेhaving arrived / when (it) has come

किम्what?

इदम्this

मोहकारितम्caused by delusion / delusion-made

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Yudhiṣṭhira

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?

Even in war, one should recognize rightful occasions for relief and gratitude; acting from moha (confusion, grief, or misjudgment) at such a moment leads to ethically unsound decisions and needless harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events, points out that Yudhiṣṭhira is safe and strong—an occasion that should bring joy—yet he senses an impending, delusion-driven decision and questions what misguided action is about to occur.