Shloka 20

शल्यस्य सेनापत्याभ्युपगमः | Śalya’s Acceptance of Command

Devanagari script

उग्र॑ तेपे तप: कृष्णा भर्तृणामर्थसिद्धये । निक्षिप्य मान॑ दर्प च वासुदेवसहोदरा

Transliteration

ugraṁ tepe tapaḥ kṛṣṇā bhartṝṇām arthasiddhaye | nikṣipya mānaṁ darpaṁ ca vāsudeva-sahodarā ||

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī), la hermana de Vāsudeva, emprendió severas austeridades para el cumplimiento de los fines de sus esposos. Apartando el orgullo y la arrogancia, abrazó una disciplina de dominio de sí para asegurar su éxito.

Word by Word

• उग्रम्: fierce, severe (austerity)
• उग्रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तेपे: performed (austerity), practiced
• तेपे: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कृष्णा: Krishnaa (Draupadi)
• कृष्णा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भर्तॄणाम्: of (her) husbands
• भर्तॄणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अर्थसिद्धये: for the accomplishment of the purpose
• अर्थसिद्धये: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थसिद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Dative, Singular

• निक्षिप्य: having cast aside, abandoning
• निक्षिप्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-क्षिप्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active

• मानम्: pride, self-respect
• मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दर्पम्: arrogance, haughtiness
• दर्पम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्प
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वासुदेवसहोदरा: the sister of Vasudeva's son (i.e., Subhadra, sister of Krishna)
• वासुदेवसहोदरा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव-सहोदर
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• कृष्णा / द्रौपदी (Kṛṣṇā / Draupadī)
• वासुदेव (Vāsudeva, i.e., Kṛṣṇa)
• भर्तारः (her husbands, i.e., the Pāṇḍavas collectively)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethical ideal: success pursued for others—especially for one’s dependents or partners—should be grounded in self-discipline and humility. By setting aside māna (self-regarding pride) and darpa (arrogant overconfidence), one’s effort (tapas) becomes morally purified and more conducive to rightful accomplishment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Draupadī (Kṛṣṇā), identified as Vāsudeva’s sister, undertaking intense austerities with the intention of securing the fulfillment of her husbands’ objectives. The emphasis is on her deliberate renunciation of pride and arrogance while striving for their success.