Shloka 13

अर्जुनोक्तिः—कृष्णं प्रति पुरुषकार‑कर्म‑विचारः

Arjuna’s Address to Krishna: Agency, Action, and Immediate Counsel

Devanagari script

तत्रेयमनुमात्रा मे भीमसेन विवक्षिता । नैकान्तसिद्धिर्वक्तव्या शत्रुभि: सह संयुगे,भीमसेन! मुझे इस विषयमें अपना यह निश्चय बताना अभीष्ट है कि युद्धमें शत्रुओंके साथ भिड़नेपर अवश्य ही विजय प्राप्त होगी, यह नहीं कहा जा सकता

Transliteration

tatreyam anumātrā me bhīmasena vivakṣitā | naikāntasiddhir vaktavyā śatrubhiḥ saha saṃyuge ||

Translation

Here is my measured view, O Bhīmasena, stated plainly: in battle, when one closes with enemies, one cannot declare victory as an absolute certainty. The outcome of war is contingent, and responsible counsel must not promise inevitability where fate, strength, and circumstance may overturn expectations.

Word by Word

तत्रthere/in that matter

इयम्this

अनुमात्राa mere estimate/only a measure (approximation)

मेof me / my

भीमसेनO Bhimasena

विवक्षिताintended to be said / wished to be spoken

नnot

एकान्तसिद्धिःcertain/absolute success

वक्तव्याis to be said / should be asserted

शत्रुभिःwith enemies

सहtogether with

संयुगेin battle

भीमसेनO Bhimasena

Speaker

भीमसेन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīmasena

enemies (śatravaḥ)

battle (saṃyuga)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Do not make absolute promises about victory in war; ethical counsel must acknowledge uncertainty and avoid overconfident claims that can mislead decision-making.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s deliberations about impending conflict, the speaker addresses Bhīmasena and offers a restrained assessment: when facing enemies in battle, success cannot be asserted as guaranteed.