Shloka 16

Saṃjaya’s Warning to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: Accountability, Alliance-Shift, and the Pāṇḍava Strategic Edge

Devanagari script

दुर्योधनमुखा दृष्ट्वा क्षयं यास्यन्ति कौरवा: । आपकी सेनाके अधिकांश वीर भीमसेनके हाथों मारे जायँगे और दुर्योधन आदि कौरव विपत्तिके समुद्रमें डूबती हुई इस सेनाको देखते-देखते स्वयं भी नष्ट हो जायँगे || १५ ह ।। न भीमार्जुनयोर्भीता लप्स्यन्ते विजयं विभो

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | duryodhana-mukhā dṛṣṭvā kṣayaṁ yāsyanti kauravāḥ | na bhīmārjunayor bhītā lapsyante vijayaṁ vibho ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “With Duryodhana at their head, the Kauravas will meet destruction. Even without fearing Bhīma and Arjuna, they will not attain victory, O mighty one.”

Word by Word

दुर्योधनमुखाःthose headed by Duryodhana

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

क्षयम्destruction

यास्यन्तिwill go/meet (i.e., will come to)

कौरवाःthe Kauravas

नnot

भीमof Bhima

अर्जुनयोःof the two (Bhima and) Arjuna

भीताःafraid

लप्स्यन्तेwill obtain

विजयम्victory

विभोO mighty one / O lord

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Duryodhana

Kauravas

Bhīma

Arjuna

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Leadership rooted in adharma and obstinacy leads a community toward ruin; mere bravado or lack of fear does not secure victory when one’s cause and conduct are flawed.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya foretells to the powerful listener (vibhu) that the Kaurava side, led by Duryodhana, is headed for destruction and will not win, even if they do not fear the prowess of Bhīma and Arjuna.