Shloka 413

Devanagari script

नन्दयिष्यामि राजानं धर्मपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम्‌ । “केशव! आज मैं बन्धु-बान्धवोंसहित राधापुत्रको मारकर धर्मपुत्र राजा युधिष्ठिरको आनन्दित करूँगा

Transliteration

nandayiṣyāmi rājānaṃ dharmaputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram | “keśava! āja maiṃ bandhu-bāndhava-sahitaṃ rādhāputraṃ mārayan dharmaputra-rājānaṃ yudhiṣṭhiraṃ ānanditaṃ kariṣyāmi”

Translation

Sañjaya said: “I shall gladden King Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Dharma. O Keśava, today, by slaying the son of Rādhā (Karna) along with his kinsmen and allies, I will bring joy to King Yudhiṣṭhira.” The utterance frames victory as a moral and political relief for the righteous king, while revealing the grim ethical tension of seeking ‘joy’ through bloodshed in a dharma-war.

Word by Word

• नन्दयिष्यामि: I shall gladden
• नन्दयिष्यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नन्दय् (णिच्) < नन्द्
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), 1, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मपुत्रम्: Dharma’s son (Dharmaputra)
• धर्मपुत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिरम्: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• Rādhāputra (Karna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in a war framed as dharma, the language of ‘joy’ through killing exposes an ethical strain: righteous ends are sought through violent means, reminding readers that victory can be morally complex and emotionally costly.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a vow-like statement addressed to Keśava (Kṛṣṇa): the speaker intends to kill Karna (Rādhā’s son), along with his supporters, in order to hearten and please King Yudhiṣṭhira.