Shloka 17
त्रिगर्तान् मे पिता यातः शून्ये सम्प्रणिधाय माम् | सर्वा सेनामुपादाय न मे सन््तीह सैनिका:,“बृहन्नले! मेरे पिता सूने नगरमें उसकी रक्षाके लिये मुझे अकेला रखकर स्वयं सारी सेना साथ ले त्रिगर्तोंसे युद्ध करनेके लिये गये हैं। मेरे पास यहाँ कोई सैनिक नहीं है। मैं अकेला बालक हूँ और मैंने अस्त्रविद्यामें अभी अधिक परिश्रम भी नहीं किया है। ऐसी दशामें अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंके ज्ञाता और प्रौढ़ अवस्थावाले इन बहुसंख्यक कौरवोंका सामना मैं नहीं कर सकूँगा। अतः तुम रथ लेकर लौट चलो”
trigartān me pitā yātaḥ śūnye sampranidhāya mām | sarvāṃ senām upādāya na me santīha sainikāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “My father has gone to fight the Trigartas, leaving me stationed here in the empty city as its sole guard, taking the entire army with him. I have no soldiers here.” In context, the speaker underscores the ethical tension between duty to protect the city and the practical impossibility of resisting a superior force without support—setting up the need for wise counsel and strategic restraint rather than reckless valor.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights responsible judgment in dharma: duty is real, but duty must be pursued with discernment. When resources and capability are absent, reckless confrontation becomes adharma toward oneself and the realm; seeking guidance and choosing a viable course is ethically preferable to empty bravado.
The speaker explains that his father has marched out with the full army to fight the Trigartas, leaving the city effectively undefended and leaving him alone without soldiers. This sets the stage for the ensuing decision about whether and how to face an approaching threat.