Shloka 13

Devanagari script

योत्स्यसे चापि बलिभिररिश्रि: प्रत्युपस्थितै: । अन्यैस्त्वं पाण्डवैर्वापि हीनै: स्वबलवाहनै:,“उस दशामें बलवान्‌-से-बलवान्‌ शत्रु क्यों न आ जायेँ और वे पाण्डव हों या दूसरे कोई, यदि सेना और वाहन आदिकी दृष्टिसे उनमें अपनी अपेक्षा न्‍्यूनता है तो तुम उन सबके साथ युद्ध कर सकोगे

Transliteration

yotsyase cāpi balibhir ariśriḥ pratyupasthitaiḥ | anyais tvaṁ pāṇḍavair vāpi hīnaiḥ svabalavāhanaiḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “You will indeed be able to fight even when mighty foes stand before you. Whether they are the Pāṇḍavas or others, if they are inferior to you in their own strength and means of conveyance, you can engage them in battle.”

Word by Word

योत्स्यसेyou will fight

चand

अपिalso/even

बलिभिःwith the strong (ones)

अरिश्रिःthe glory/splendour of enemies

प्रत्युपस्थितैःwith those who have come forward/appeared

अन्यैःwith others

त्वम्you

पाण्डवैःwith the Pāṇḍavas

वाor

अपिalso/even

हीनैःwith those who are inferior/deficient

स्वबलवाहनैःwith (their) own forces and vehicles/mounts

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pāṇḍavas

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?

The verse emphasizes readiness to uphold kṣatriya duty: one should not shrink from battle when confronted by opponents, while also judging practical factors like relative strength and resources (bala and vāhana).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues narrating a situation in which a warrior is being assured of his capacity to fight: even if powerful enemies appear—whether the Pāṇḍavas or others—if they are comparatively weaker in force and conveyances, he can take them on.