Shloka 19

भीमसेन–अलायुधयुद्धम् / Bhīmasena and Alāyudha: Night Engagement and Command Responses

Devanagari script

कथं पतितवृत्तस्य पृथिवी सुद्दां द्रुह: विवरं नाशकद्‌ दातुं मम पार्थिवसंसदि,मुझ आचारभ्रष्ट और मित्रद्रोहीके लिये राजाओंके समाजमें यह पृथ्वी फट क्‍यों नहीं जाती, जिससे मैं उसीमें समा जाऊँ

Transliteration

kathaṁ patitavṛttasya pṛthivī suddāṁ druhaḥ vivaraṁ nāśakad dātuṁ mama pārthivasaṁsadi |

Translation

Duryodhana dit : «Comment se fait-il que la terre ne se fende pas et ne m’accorde pas un gouffre au sein de l’assemblée des rois—moi dont la conduite a déchu du droit chemin, traître aux amis—afin que je m’y engloutisse ?»

Word by Word

कथम्how?

पतित-वृत्तस्यof one whose conduct has fallen (depraved)

पृथिवीthe earth

सु-उद्धाम्very wide/violent (as a gaping opening)

द्रुहःof a betrayer/traitor

विवरम्a cleft, opening

नnot

अशकत्was able

दातुम्to give, to make (provide)

ममof me, my

पार्थिव-संसदिin the assembly of kings

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duryodhana

Earth (Pṛthivī)

Assembly of kings (pārthivasaṁsad)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse dramatizes moral self-judgment: when one recognizes a fall from dharma—especially betrayal of allies—public honor becomes unbearable, and shame itself becomes a form of inner punishment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of the war’s crisis, Duryodhana voices intense humiliation before the royal assembly, calling himself fallen in conduct and a betrayer, and wishes the earth would open to swallow him—an image of despair and self-condemnation.