Shloka 10

Draupadī-apaharaṇa-saṃdeśaḥ

Report of Draupadī’s Abduction and the Pāṇḍavas’ Pursuit

Devanagari script

भगदत्त आदि महापराक्रमी क्षत्रिय दिव्यास्त्रोंके ज्ञाता तथा शौर्यसम्पन्न हैं। वे आपके शत्रुओंका संहार करेंगे ।। तदलं ते विषादेन भयं तव न विद्यते | साहाय्यार्थ च ते वीरा: सम्भूता भुवि दानवा:,अत: आपको शोक करनेकी आवश्यकता नहीं है। आपको कोई भय नहीं है। आपकी सहायताके लिये बहुत-से वीर दानव भूतलपर प्रकट हो चुके हैं

Transliteration

bhagadatta ādi mahāparākramī kṣatriyā divyāstrāṇāṃ jñātāḥ tathā śauryasampannāḥ santi | te tava śatrūṇāṃ saṃhāraṃ kariṣyanti || tad alaṃ te viṣādena bhayaṃ tava na vidyate | sahāyārthaṃ ca te vīrāḥ sambhūtā bhuvi dānavāḥ || ataḥ śokaṃ kartum na te ’vaśyakam | tava bhayaṃ na vidyate | tava sahāyārthaṃ bahavaḥ vīrā dānavā bhuvi prakaṭībhūtāḥ santi ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Warriors such as Bhagadatta—mighty Kṣatriyas, skilled in divine weapons and endowed with valor—will bring about the destruction of your enemies. Therefore, give up this dejection: there is no fear for you. For your support, many heroic Dānavas have manifested upon the earth. Hence you need not grieve; you are not to be afraid, for powerful allies have arisen to aid your cause.”

Word by Word

• {'bhagadatta': 'Bhagadatta, a renowned king and warrior (ally figure in the epic tradition)', 'ādi': 'and others

• beginning with', 'mahāparākrama': 'of great prowess, mighty in valor', 'kṣatriya': 'member of the warrior-ruler class', 'divya-astra': 'divine/supernatural missile or weapon', 'jñātā': 'knower, expert', 'śaurya-sampanna': 'endowed with heroism', 'śatru': 'enemy', 'saṃhāra': 'slaughter, destruction', 'tad alam': 'therefore enough (of that)

• hence desist', 'viṣāda': 'despondency, dejection', 'bhaya': 'fear', 'na vidyate': 'does not exist

• is not present', 'sahāya-artha': 'for the purpose of assistance', 'vīra': 'hero, brave warrior', 'sambhūta': 'arisen, come into being, manifested', 'bhuvi': 'on earth', 'dānava': 'a Dānava (demonic/Asura lineage), here as powerful allies', 'śoka': 'grief'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhagadatta
• Kṣatriyas
• divine weapons (divyāstras)
• enemies (śatrus)
• Dānavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse urges abandoning viṣāda (despondency) by grounding oneself in realistic sources of strength—capable allies and preparedness—so that fear does not govern action in a time of conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reassures the addressed party that formidable warriors led by Bhagadatta, along with other powerful supporters (including Dānavas), have appeared to help; therefore grief and fear are unnecessary because enemies will be overcome.