Shloka 19

Devanagari script

त्रयोदशं च सजने अज्ञाता: परिवत्सरम्‌ | ज्ञाताश्न पुनरन्यानि वने वर्षाणि द्वादश

Transliteration

trayodaśaṃ ca sajane ajñātāḥ parivatsaram | jñātāś ca punar anyāni vane varṣāṇi dvādaśa

Translation

Duryodhana says: “For the thirteenth year they must remain unrecognized among people for a full year; and if they are discovered, then they must again spend another twelve years in exile in the forest.”

Word by Word

• त्रयोदशम्: thirteenth
• त्रयोदशम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रयोदश
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• सजने: among people / in society
• सजने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सजन
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अज्ञाताः: unknown, unrecognized
• अज्ञाताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज्ञात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• परिवत्सरम्: for a year
• परिवत्सरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिवत्सर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ज्ञाताः: known, recognized
• ज्ञाताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• अन्यानि: other (ones)
• अन्यानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वर्षाणि: years
• वर्षाणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• Pāṇḍavas (implied)
• forest (vana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how dharma can be strained when agreements are interpreted with harsh literalism: Duryodhana emphasizes punitive enforcement of the exile terms, illustrating the ethical danger of using law and vows as weapons rather than instruments of justice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana states the rule governing the Pāṇḍavas’ final year of exile: they must live incognito for the thirteenth year; if they are recognized, the penalty is to repeat twelve more years in forest exile, reinforcing the high stakes of their ajñātavāsa.