Shloka 18

धृतराष्ट्रस्य बलाबलचिन्ता

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Strength and Preference for Śama

Devanagari script

युद्धायावस्थितं पार्थ पार्थिवैरतिमानुषै: । अशक्यं नरशार्दूलं पराजेतुमरिंदमम्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

yuddhāyāvasthitaṃ pārtha pārthivair atimānuṣaiḥ |

aśakyaṃ naraśārdūlaṃ parājētum ariṃdamam ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana dijo: «¡Oh Pārtha! Incluso para reyes dotados de fuerza sobrehumana es imposible derrotar a ese tigre entre los hombres—Arjuna, domador de enemigos—que está ya dispuesto para la guerra».

Word by Word

• युद्धाय: for battle
• युद्धाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Singular

• अवस्थितम्: standing/posted (ready)
• अवस्थितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवस्था (अव + √स्था)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• पार्थ: O Partha (Arjuna)
• पार्थ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पार्थिवैः: by kings
• पार्थिवैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अतिमानुषैः: of superhuman (might)
• अतिमानुषैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिमानुष
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अशक्यम्: impossible (to do)
• अशक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशक्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, यत् (potential/gerundive sense: 'not possible to')

• नरशार्दूलम्: the tiger among men (hero)
• नरशार्दूलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरशार्दूल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पराजेतुम्: to defeat
• पराजेतुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: पराजि (परा + √जि)
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive)

• अरिंदमम्: enemy-subduing
• अरिंदमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरिंदम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• pārthivāḥ (kings/rulers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical and narrative idea that mere worldly power—even when ‘superhuman’—has limits against a warrior who embodies perfected kṣatriya prowess and divine-backed preparedness; it frames Arjuna’s martial capacity as effectively unsurpassable in the coming conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, narrating the events of the Udyoga Parva, highlights Arjuna standing ready for war and declares that even extraordinarily powerful kings would be unable to defeat him, intensifying the sense of inevitability and scale as the Kurukṣetra war approaches.