Mahabharata 4.50.16 — Virata Parva, Adhyaya 50, Shloka 16

अध्याय ५०: उत्तरेण सह अर्जुनस्य रथप्रयाणे ध्वजचिह्नैः कौरवसेनानिर्देशः

Arjuna directs Uttara by identifying Kaurava commanders through banners

Devanagari script

धृतराष्ट्रके पुत्रोंका संहार करनेके लिये ही धनंजय प्रकट हुए हैं और एक तुम हो

Transliteration

Dhr̥tarāṣṭrake putroṅkā saṁhāra karne ke liye hī dhanañjaya prakaṭ hue haiṁ, aura eka tuma ho, jo yahāṁ paṇḍita bankar baṛī-baṛī bāteṁ banānā cāhate ho—vairāntakaraṇo jiṣṇur naḥ śeṣaṁ kariṣyati? Kyā vairakā badlā cukānevāle Arjuna hamalogoṅkā saṁhāra nahīṁ kar ḍāleṅge?

Translation

Dijo Kṛpa: «Dhanañjaya se ha revelado sólo para consumar la destrucción de los hijos de Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Y tú—sentado aquí, posando de sabio y hilando palabras altisonantes. ¿Acaso Jiṣṇu, el vengador que pone fin a la enemistad, no dejará a ninguno de nosotros con vida? ¿No nos aniquilará Arjuna, resuelto a pagar la ofensa?»

Word by Word

• वैरान्तकरणः: one who brings enmity to an end / one who settles vengeance
• वैरान्तकरणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैरान्तकर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जिष्णुः: Jishnu (Arjuna; the victorious one)
• जिष्णुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिष्णु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• नः: of us / our
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Plural

• शेषम्: a remainder; what is left
• शेषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• करिष्यति: will make / will do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

कृप उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kṛpa
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons (Kauravas)
• Arjuna (Dhanañjaya/Jiṣṇu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how fear and impending consequences sharpen moral and strategic judgment: past hostility returns as retribution, and empty ‘wise’ talk is criticized when decisive action and accountability are demanded.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛpa addresses a Kaurava leader, warning that Arjuna has appeared with the intent to destroy Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons; he rebukes complacent, pretended wisdom and predicts that Arjuna may annihilate them in retaliation for their enmity.