Shloka 154

अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायः (Anukramaṇikā Adhyāya) — Invocation, Narrator Frame, and Textual Scope

Devanagari script

यदाश्रौष द्रौपदी रड्गम ध्ये लक्ष्यं भित्त्वा निर्जितामर्जुनेन । शूरान्‌ पज्चालान्‌ पाण्डवेयांश्व युक्तां- स्‍्तदा नाशंसे विजयाय संजय,जब मैंने सुना कि रंगभूमिमें लक्ष्यवेध करके अर्जुनने द्रौपदी प्राप्त कर ली है और पांचाल वीर तथा पाण्डव वीर परस्पर सम्बद्ध हो गये हैं, संजय! उसी समय मैंने विजयकी आशा छोड़ दी

Transliteration

yadāśrauṣa draupadī raṅgamadhye lakṣyaṃ bhittvā nirjitām arjunena | śūrān pāñcālān pāṇḍaveyāṃś ca yuktān tadā nāśaṃse vijayāya sañjaya ||

Translation

Cuando oí que, en medio de la arena, Arjuna había ganado a Draupadī al atravesar el blanco, y que los valientes Pāñcālas y los héroes Pāṇḍavas habían quedado aliados, entonces, Sañjaya, en ese mismo instante abandoné toda esperanza de victoria. Aquella noticia no era solo un éxito marcial, sino el afianzamiento decisivo de una alianza justa y legítima, que hizo derrumbarse en mi mente las perspectivas de los Kauravas.

Word by Word

• {'yadā': 'when', 'aśrauṣam/aśrauṣa': 'I heard', 'draupadī': 'Draupadī (daughter of Drupada)', 'raṅga-madhye': 'in the middle of the arena

• in the public contest-ground', 'lakṣyam': 'the target/mark (in the contest)', 'bhittvā': 'having pierced

• having struck through', 'nirjitām': 'won

• obtained as a prize (feminine accusative)', 'arjunena': 'by Arjuna (instrumental)', 'śūrān': 'heroes

• valiant warriors', 'pāñcālān': 'the Pāñcālas (people/warriors of Pañcāla)', 'pāṇḍaveyān': 'the sons/party of Pāṇḍu

• the Pāṇḍavas', 'ca': 'and', 'yuktān': 'joined

• united', 'tadā': 'then

• at that time', 'na āśaṃse': 'I do not hope

• I gave up hope', 'vijayāya': 'for victory

• of victory', 'sañjaya': 'O Sañjaya (address)'}

Characters & Entities

• Draupadī
• Arjuna
• Pāñcālas
• Pāṇḍavas (Pāṇḍaveyas)
• Sañjaya
• raṅga (arena)
• lakṣya (target)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A single righteous and skillful act can transform political reality: Arjuna’s success at the svayaṃvara is not only personal triumph but the formation of a powerful dharmically resonant alliance (Pāṇḍavas with Pāñcālas), which shifts the balance of power and makes the opposing side lose confidence.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker reports hearing that Arjuna pierced the contest target in the arena and thereby won Draupadī, and that the Pāñcāla warriors and the Pāṇḍavas became united. Addressing Sañjaya, he says that upon hearing this, he abandoned hope of victory.