Shloka 183

Gaṅgā-tīra Udaka-kriyā and Kuntī’s Disclosure of Karṇa’s Maternity

Strī-parva, Adhyāya 27

Devanagari script

उपासितं यथास्माभिरबलं गाण्डीवधन्चन: । “धृतराष्ट्रके पुत्रोंने सदा उन्हींके बाहुबलका भरोसा कर रखा था, जैसे कि हमलोगोंने गाण्डीवधारी अर्जुनके बलका आश्रय लिया था

Transliteration

upāsitaṃ yathāsmābhir abalaṃ gāṇḍīvadhanvanaḥ |

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “Just as we relied upon the might of Arjuna, the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva, so too did Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons continually place their trust in the strength of their own arms.” The line underscores how dependence on sheer force—rather than on dharma and wise counsel—shapes choices and leads to ruin in the aftermath of war.

Word by Word

• उपासितम्: resorted to / relied upon
• उपासितम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आस् (धातु) → उपासित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• अबलम्: strength, might (lit. power)
• अबलम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अबल
• Form: नपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गाण्डीवधन्वनः: of the bearer of the Gāṇḍīva bow (Arjuna)
• गाण्डीवधन्वनः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाण्डीवधन्वन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

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

• नः: of us / our
• नः: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Arjuna
• Gāṇḍīva
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons (Kauravas)