Shloka 23

Devanagari script

इमां च नगरीं सद्यः प्रतियाते धनंजये

Transliteration

imāṁ ca nagarīṁ sadyaḥ pratiyāte dhanañjaye

Translation

Vasudeva said: “And as soon as Dhanañjaya had departed, this city too…”

Word by Word

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• नगरीम्: city
• नगरीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगरी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सद्यः: immediately
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः

• प्रतियाते: having returned / when (he) had gone back
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-या
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धनंजये: in/when Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• धनंजये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

वसुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasudeva
• Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• nagarī (the city)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the fragility of worldly order: once the righteous protector departs, change can come instantly. It invites reflection on impermanence and the need for vigilance and dharmic steadiness rather than reliance on a single external safeguard.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasudeva marks a decisive moment: immediately after Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) leaves, the narrative turns to what happens to the city. The phrasing functions as a hinge, preparing the listener for rapid developments that follow Arjuna’s departure.