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Shloka 21

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 47 — Arjuna’s Deterrent Declaration

Sañjaya’s Report

शैक्येन नागांस्तरसा विगृह्नन्‌ यदा छेत्ता धार्तराष्ट्रस्य सैन्यम्‌ छिन्दन्‌ वन॑ परशुनेव शूर- स्तदा युद्ध धार्तराष्ट्रोडन्वतप्स्यत्‌

sañjaya uvāca | śaikyena nāgāṁs tarasā vigṛhṇan yadā chettā dhārtarāṣṭrasya sainyaṁ chindan vanaṁ paraśuneva śūraḥ | tadā yuddhe dhārtarāṣṭro ’nvatapsyat ||

સંજય બોલ્યા—જ્યારે તે શૂર ‘છેતા’ ભીમ, ફાંસથી મોટા સાપ પકડે તેમ બળપૂર્વક યોદ્ધાઓને ઝપટીને ખેંચતો, અને પરશુથી જંગલ કાપતા લાકડાકામિયા જેવી રીતે ધૃતરાષ્ટ્રની સેનાને ચીરી-ફાડી નાખવા લાગશે—ત્યારે યુદ્ધની વચ્ચે જ ધૃતરાષ્ટ્રપુત્ર (દુર્યોધન) અંદરથી દાહક પસ્તાવાથી બળશે, જાણીને કે યુદ્ધ ઉકેલી તેણે ઘોર ભૂલ કરી છે।

शैक्येनwith a noose/loop (snare)
शैक्येन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootशैक्य (शक्य)
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
नागान्serpents/elephants (here: serpents as simile)
नागान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनाग
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
तरसाwith force, violently
तरसा:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootतरस्
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
विगृह्नन्seizing/dragging (while doing so)
विगृह्नन्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootवि-ग्रह्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)
यदाwhen
यदा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयदा
छेत्ताthe cutter, the slayer
छेत्ता:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootछेतृ (from √छिद्)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
धार्तराष्ट्रस्यof Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s (son), i.e., Duryodhana’s
धार्तराष्ट्रस्य:
TypeNoun
Rootधार्तराष्ट्र
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
सैन्यम्army
सैन्यम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसैन्य
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
छिन्दन्cutting, hewing
छिन्दन्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Root√छिद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)
वनम्a forest
वनम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवन
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
परशुनाwith an axe
परशुना:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootपरशु
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
इवlike, as
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
शूरःthe hero/warrior
शूरः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशूर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तदाthen
तदा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा
युद्धेin battle
युद्धे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootयुद्ध
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
धार्तराष्ट्रःDhṛtarāṣṭra’s son (Duryodhana)
धार्तराष्ट्रः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधार्तराष्ट्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अन्वतप्स्यत्would regret, would be pained afterward
अन्वतप्स्यत्:
TypeVerb
Rootअनु-√तप्
FormConditional (लृङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
D
Dhṛtarāṣṭra
D
Duryodhana (implied as dhārtarāṣṭraḥ)
B
Bhīmasena (implied by the description of the heroic destroyer)
K
Kaurava army (dhārtarāṣṭrasya sainyam)
N
noose/snare (śaikya)
A
axe (paraśu)
F
forest (vana)
S
serpents (nāga, metaphor)

Educational Q&A

Aggression rooted in pride and refusal of rightful settlement leads to catastrophic loss and inevitable remorse; the verse frames war as a moral and strategic blunder whose consequences cannot be undone once unleashed.

Sañjaya foretells the battlefield outcome: Bhīma will tear through the Kaurava forces with overwhelming power, and Duryodhana—seeing his army shattered—will inwardly repent for having initiated the war.