Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 16

यदि युद्धेन जेया: स्युरिमे कौरवनन्दना: । वयमप्यत्र युध्येम तथा चेमे नरर्षभा:

yadi yuddhena jeyāḥ syur ime kauravanandanāḥ | vayam apy atra yudhyema tathā ceme nararṣabhāḥ ||

Jika para putra Kuru ini dapat menang melalui pertempuran, maka kita pun hendaknya bertempur di sini—bersama para kesatria unggul ini, para ‘banteng di antara manusia’.

यदिif
यदि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयदि
युद्धेनby/through battle
युद्धेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootयुद्ध
Formneuter, instrumental, singular
जेयाःto be conquered / conquerable
जेयाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootज्येय
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
स्युःmight be / would be
स्युः:
TypeVerb
Rootअस्
Formoptative, 3rd, plural, parasmaipada
इमेthese
इमे:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
कौरव-नन्दनाःsons/darlings of the Kauravas
कौरव-नन्दनाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकौरवनन्दन
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
वयम्we
वयम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
Formnominative, plural
अपिalso/even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
अत्रhere
अत्र:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअत्र
युध्येमwe might fight
युध्येम:
TypeVerb
Rootयुध्
Formoptative, 1st, plural, ātmanepada
तथाthus/so
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
इमेthese
इमे:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
नर-ऋषभाःbulls among men / best of men
नर-ऋषभाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनरऋषभ
Formmasculine, nominative, plural

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
K
Kauravas
N
nararṣabhāḥ (foremost warriors)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights a martial ethic: if victory is to be achieved through combat, then one must commit to the struggle with full resolve, relying on one’s best warriors. It also implicitly questions whether victory truly depends only on fighting, pointing to the tension between human effort and larger destiny.

Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, conveys the Kaurava-side determination: if the Kauravas can win by battle, then they and their leading fighters should engage decisively on the field.