Shloka 52

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 28: Dharmādharmalakṣaṇa in Āpad

Crisis-Discernment of Right and Wrong

Devanagari script

द्यूतके समय जब पाण्डव हार गये थे, तब दुर्योधनने उनके प्रति बड़ी भयानक और कड़वी बातें कही थीं; अतः सदा सावधान रहनेवाले भीमसेन युद्धके समय गदा हाथमें लेकर दुर्योधनको उन बातोंकी याद दिलायेंगे ।। सुयोधनो मन्युमयो महाद्रुम: स्कन्ध: कर्ण: शकुनिस्तस्य शाखा: । दुःशासन: पुष्पफले समद्धे मूलं राजा धृतराष्ट्रोइमनीषी

Transliteration

dyūtake samaye yadā pāṇḍavā hārāḥ gatāḥ, tadā duryodhanena teṣu prati bhayānakāḥ kaṭukāś ca vācaḥ uktāḥ; ataḥ sadā sāvadhāno 'pi bhīmasenaḥ yuddha-samaye gadāṃ haste gṛhītvā duryodhanaṃ tābhir vāgbhir anusmārayiṣyati || suyodhano manyumayo mahādrumaḥ, skandhaḥ karṇaḥ, śakunistasya śākhāḥ | duḥśāsanaḥ puṣpaphale samṛddhe, mūlaṃ rājā dhṛtarāṣṭro 'manīṣī ||

Translation

Vāyu-deva said: When the Pāṇḍavas had lost in the gambling match, Duryodhana spoke to them words that were terrifying and bitter. Therefore, even the ever-watchful Bhīmasena, in the hour of battle, will take up his mace and remind Duryodhana of those cruel taunts. Suyodhana (Duryodhana) is like a great tree made of wrath: Karṇa is its trunk, and Śakuni its branches. Duḥśāsana is its abundant flowers and fruits, while its root is the king Dhṛtarāṣṭra—lacking discernment.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'dyūta', 'definition': 'gambling

• dice-game'}, {'term': 'samaya', 'definition': 'occasion

• circumstance'}, {'term': 'pāṇḍava', 'definition': 'the sons of Pāṇḍu

• the Pāṇḍavas'}, {'term': 'hāra / hārāḥ', 'definition': 'defeat

• loss (especially in gambling)'}, {'term': 'bhayānaka', 'definition': 'terrifying

• dreadful'}, {'term': 'kaṭuka', 'definition': 'harsh

• cutting (speech)'}, {'term': 'vāc / vācaḥ', 'definition': 'speech

• utterance'}, {'term': 'sāvadhāna', 'definition': 'vigilant

• attentive'}, {'term': 'yuddha', 'definition': 'war

• battle'}, {'term': 'gadā', 'definition': 'mace (Bhīma’s weapon)'}, {'term': 'anusmārayati', 'definition': 'to remind

• to call to mind'}, {'term': 'manyu', 'definition': 'wrath

• fierce indignation'}, {'term': 'mahādruma', 'definition': 'great tree (metaphor for a powerful, growing evil)'}, {'term': 'skandha', 'definition': 'trunk

• main stem (of a tree)'}, {'term': 'śākhā', 'definition': 'branch'}, {'term': 'puṣpa-phala', 'definition': 'flowers and fruits

• outcomes/manifestations'}, {'term': 'samṛddha', 'definition': 'abundant

• flourishing'}, {'term': 'mūla', 'definition': 'root

• underlying cause'}, {'term': 'amanīṣī', 'definition': 'without good judgment

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu-deva
• Pāṇḍavas
• Duryodhana (Suyodhana)
• Bhīmasena
• Gadā (mace)
• Karṇa
• Śakuni
• Duḥśāsana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra