Shloka 96

Devanagari script

न्यस्तश्नात्मा सुविषमे कृच्छमापादिता वयम्‌ । “अतः महाराज! आपने अपने शत्रुको समान मार्गपर ला दिया है। अपने-आपको तो भारी संकटमें फँसाया ही है, हमलोगोंको भी भारी कठिनाईमें डाल दिया है

Transliteration

nyastaśnātmanā suviṣame kṛccham āpāditā vayam | ataḥ mahārāja! āpne apne śatruko samāna-mārgapar lā diyā hai | apne-āpakō tō bhārī saṅkaṭmēṁ phaṁsāyā hī hai, hamalōgōṁkō bhī bhārī kaṭhināī-mēṁ ḍāl diyā hai |

Translation

Sanjaya said: “With our strength and composure laid down, we have been driven into a most perilous distress. Therefore, O great king, you have brought your enemy onto an equal footing. You have not only plunged yourself into a grave crisis, but have also cast all of us into severe difficulty.”

Word by Word

• न्यस्त: placed, set down; resigned
• न्यस्त: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न्यस् (धातु) / न्यस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्नात्मा: self, soul
• श्नात्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुविषमे: in a very difficult (situation/place)
• सुविषमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुविषम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कृच्छम्: hardship, distress
• कृच्छम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आपादिता: brought (into), caused to reach (a state)
• आपादिता: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आपद् (धातु) / आपादित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Mahārāja (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, implied)
• enemy (unnamed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s choices in war have collective consequences: by misjudgment or loss of strategic advantage, the king not only endangers himself but also burdens his entire side. The verse underscores responsibility in leadership and the ethical weight of decisions that affect many.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to the king that their side has been pushed into extreme peril and that the king’s actions have effectively allowed the enemy to reach an equal position. He laments that the king has created a grave crisis for himself and for all those dependent on him.