Shloka 14

Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 1 — The Pandavas’ Exit from Gajasāhvaya and the Citizens’ Lament (जनमेजयप्रश्नः; पाण्डवानां वनप्रस्थानम्)

Devanagari script

यत्र दुर्योधन: पाप: सौबलेनाभिपालित: । कर्णदु:शासनाभ्यां च राज्यमेतच्चिकीर्षति,पुरवासी बोले--अहो! हमारा यह समस्त कुल, हम तथा हमारे घर-द्वार अब सुरक्षित नहीं हैं; क्योंकि यहाँ पापात्मा दुर्योधन सुबलपुत्र शकुनिसे पालित हो कर्ण और दुःशासनकी सम्मतिसे इस राज्यका शासन करना चाहता है

Transliteration

yatra duryodhanaḥ pāpaḥ saubalenābhipālitaḥ | karṇa-duḥśāsanābhyāṃ ca rājyam etac cikīrṣati ||

Translation

Allí, el pecaminoso Duryodhana—criado y guiado por Saubala (Śakuni), y respaldado por Karṇa y Duḥśāsana—busca apoderarse del gobierno de este reino. Por eso los habitantes de la ciudad se lamentan: su linaje entero y sus hogares ya no están a salvo.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र
• Form: indeclinable (locative sense)

• दुर्योधनः: Duryodhana
• दुर्योधनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• पापः: sinful, wicked
• पापः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• सौबलेन: by Saubala (Shakuni)
• सौबलेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौबल
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• अभिपालितः: protected/guarded (by)
• अभिपालितः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-पाल (पाल्)
• Form: past passive participle, masculine, nominative, singular

• कर्ण: by Karna
• कर्ण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular (as member of a dual compound)

• दुःशासनाभ्याम्: by (Karna and) Duhshasana / by Duhshasana (dual with Karna)
• दुःशासनाभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःशासन
• Form: masculine, instrumental, dual

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: indeclinable

• राज्यम्: kingdom, rule
• राज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• चिकीर्षति: wishes/intends to do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (कृञ्)
• Form: present tense (desiderative), parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Duryodhana
• Śakuni (Saubala)
• Karṇa
• Duḥśāsana
• the kingdom (rājya)
• townspeople/citizens (puravāsī, implied by the prose gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Unrighteous rule is shown as arising from corrupt influence and violent support: when a would-be king is 'abhipālita' (kept and guided) by deceitful counsel and backed by aggressive allies, society loses its sense of safety. The verse frames political power as an ethical matter—legitimacy depends on dharma, not merely force or faction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the situation in which Duryodhana, under Śakuni’s influence and with Karṇa and Duḥśāsana’s support, aims to control the kingdom. The accompanying narrative sense is that citizens (puravāsinaḥ) react with alarm, fearing for their families and homes because the prospective ruler is characterized as pāpa (wicked).