Shloka 53

Devanagari script

शरणं त्वां महाराज प्रपन्नौ स्व उभावपषि

Transliteration

śaraṇaṃ tvāṃ mahārāja prapannau sva ubhāv api

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O great king, we both have come to you for refuge, surrendering ourselves to your protection.”

Word by Word

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रपन्नौ: having sought refuge / surrendered
• प्रपन्नौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रपन्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• स्वौ: own (we ourselves)
• स्वौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: उभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• अपि: indeed / also / even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Mahārāja (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dharmic ideal of śaraṇāgati—seeking refuge and protection from a rightful authority—implying the king’s ethical duty to protect those who surrender and the petitioner’s humility in approaching power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya addresses the king (Dhṛtarāṣṭra), stating that “both of us” have come to him seeking shelter, framing the moment as an appeal for protection or support amid the pressures of the war narrative.