Shloka 21

गान्धारी-प्रशमनम् — Pacification of Gāndhārī and Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel at Hāstinapura

Devanagari script

दिष्टया जयसि कौन्तेय दिष्ट्या ते शत्रवो जिता: । दिष्ट्या गाण्डीवधन्वा च भीमसेनश्नू पाण्डव:,“कुन्तीनन्दन! सौभाग्यसे आपकी विजय हुई और सारे शत्रु परास्त हो गये। राजन! गाण्डीवधारी अर्जुन, पाण्डुकुमार भीमसेन, आप और माद्रीपुत्र पाण्डुनन्दन नकुल-सहदेव --ये सब-के-सब सकुशल हैं तथा जहाँ वीरोंका विनाश हुआ और तुम्हारे सारे शत्रु कालके गालमें चले गये, उस घोर संग्रामसे तुमलोग जीवित बच गये, यह बड़े सौभाग्यकी बात है

Transliteration

diṣṭyā jayasi kaunteya diṣṭyā te śatravo jitāḥ | diṣṭyā gāṇḍīvadhanvā ca bhīmasenaś ca pāṇḍavaḥ ||

Translation

Vāyu said: “By good fortune you are victorious, O son of Kuntī; by good fortune your enemies have been conquered. By good fortune, Arjuna the wielder of Gāṇḍīva and Bhīmasena, the Pāṇḍava, are safe as well.”

Word by Word

• दिष्ट्या: fortunately / by good luck
• दिष्ट्या: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिष्टि
• Form: Avyaya (instrumental sense: 'by good fortune')

• जयसि: you win / you are victorious
• जयसि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि
• Form: Present, Parasmaipada, 2nd person, singular

• कौन्तेय: O son of Kunti
• कौन्तेय: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौन्तेय
• Form: Masculine, vocative, singular

• दिष्ट्या: fortunately
• दिष्ट्या: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिष्टि
• Form: Avyaya (instrumental sense)

• ते: your
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, singular

• शत्रवः: enemies
• शत्रवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural

• जिताः: conquered / defeated
• जिताः: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि
• Form: Past passive participle, masculine, nominative, plural

• दिष्ट्या: fortunately
• दिष्ट्या: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिष्टि
• Form: Avyaya (instrumental sense)

• गाण्डीवधन्वा: the wielder of the Gandiva bow (Arjuna)
• गाण्डीवधन्वा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाण्डीवधन्वन्
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: Conjunction

• भीमसेनः: Bhimasena
• भीमसेनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: Conjunction

• पाण्डवः: the Pandava (you, son of Pandu)
• पाण्डवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyu)
• कौन्तेय (Kaunteya—son of Kuntī, addressed to a Pāṇḍava)
• शत्रवः (enemies)
• गाण्डीव (Gāṇḍīva bow)
• गाण्डीवधन्वा अर्जुन (Arjuna)
• भीमसेन (Bhīmasena/Bhīma)
• पाण्डव (Pāṇḍava)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes that victory and even survival in a righteous yet devastating war are not to be claimed as mere personal triumph; they are to be received with humility as ‘diṣṭi’—a providential favor—especially after widespread destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu addresses a Pāṇḍava (Kaunteya), congratulating him on victory and the defeat of enemies, and noting that key allies—Arjuna (wielder of Gāṇḍīva) and Bhīmasena—are safe, underscoring the extraordinary fortune of emerging alive from the horrific battle.