Shloka 17

Virāṭa’s Mobilization to Recover the Cattle (गोधनरक्षणार्थ विराटस्य सैन्यसमायोजनम्)

Devanagari script

सम्मन्त्रय चाशु गच्छाम: साधनार्थ महीपते: । किं च नः पाण्डवै: कार्य हीनार्थवलपौरुषै:

Transliteration

sammantrya cāśu gacchāmaḥ sādhanārtha mahīpateḥ | kiṃ ca naḥ pāṇḍavaiḥ kāryaṃ hīnārthabalapauruṣaiḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Tras deliberar entre nosotros, debemos partir de inmediato para someter al rey Virāṭa a nuestro dominio. ¿Y qué necesidad tenemos de los Pāṇḍava? Carecen de riqueza, de fuerza y de varonil arrojo».

Word by Word

• सम्मन्त्र्य: having consulted
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + मन्त्र्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

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

• आशु: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु

• गच्छामः: we go / let us go
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: लट् (present), 1, plural, परस्मैपदम्

• साधनार्थम्: for the purpose of subduing/bringing under control
• साधनार्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधनार्थ
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• महीपतेः: of the king (Virāṭa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपतिः
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• च: and / moreover
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• नः: for us / to us
• नः: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: genitive/dative, plural

• पाण्डवैः: with/by the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• कार्यम्: business, need, purpose
• कार्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• हीनार्थबलपौरुषैः: deficient in wealth, strength, and valor
• हीनार्थबलपौरुषैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीनार्थबलपौरुष
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Virāṭa
• Pāṇḍavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a political mindset that measures people only by resources and force, dismissing ethical considerations and the latent strength of dharma-aligned allies; it implicitly warns against contempt and shortsighted power-calculation.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker (reported by Vaiśaṃpāyana) urges immediate action after consultation to subdue King Virāṭa, while belittling the Pāṇḍavas as lacking wealth, strength, and valor, and therefore deemed useless for their plans.