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:,“आपसमें अच्छी तरह सलाह करके हमें राजा विराटको वशमें करनेके लिये शीघ्र प्रस्थान कर देना चाहिये। पाण्डवलोग धन, बल तथा पौरुष तीनोंसे हीन हैं, अतः उनसे हमें क्या काम है?

Transliteration

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

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : «Après nous être concertés entre nous, partons sans délai pour mettre le roi Virāṭa sous notre pouvoir. Et qu’avons-nous à faire des Pāṇḍava ? Ils manquent de richesses, de force et de vaillance virile.»

Word by Word

सम्मन्त्र्यhaving consulted

चand

आशुquickly

गच्छामःwe go / let us go

साधनार्थम्for the purpose of subduing/bringing under control

महीपतेःof the king (Virāṭa)

किम्what?

चand / moreover

नःfor us / to us

पाण्डवैःwith/by the Pāṇḍavas

कार्यम्business, need, purpose

हीनार्थबलपौरुषैःdeficient in wealth, strength, and valor

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Virāṭa

Pāṇḍavas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

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.