Shloka 39

Duryodhana’s Śaraṇāgati and the Pāṇḍavas’ Resolve

Gandharva Encounter

Devanagari script

पृष्ठतो विजयस्यापि याति रुद्रस्य पट्टिश:

Transliteration

pṛṣṭhato vijayasyāpi yāti rudrasya paṭṭiśaḥ

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: “Even when victory seems assured, Rudra’s paṭṭiśa (battle-weapon) follows close behind.” The saying warns that triumph does not remove danger; pride and heedlessness after success invite sudden reversal, and one must remain disciplined, humble, and vigilant even at the height of fortune.

Word by Word

• पृष्ठतः: from behind/behind
• पृष्ठतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृष्ठ
• Form: Avyaya (ablatival adverbial form: 'from/at the back, behind')

• विजयस्य: of Vijaya
• विजयस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: विजय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि
• Form: Avyaya

• याति: goes/proceeds
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (याति)
• Form: Present tense (Lat), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• रुद्रस्य: of Rudra
• रुद्रस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पट्टिशः: the axe/battle-axe
• पट्टिशः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पट्टिश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Vijaya (victory)
• Rudra (Śiva)
• Paṭṭiśa (weapon)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Success is not a guarantee of safety: after victory, complacency and arrogance can invite swift downfall. The verse counsels humility, self-control, and continued vigilance, recognizing that destructive forces (symbolized by Rudra’s weapon) can strike when one least expects it.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya delivers a pointed maxim within his discourse: he frames victory as something that can be immediately shadowed by peril, invoking Rudra’s fearsome weapon as an image of sudden reversal and chastisement that follows behind the triumphant.