Shloka 51

Devanagari script

“जो अर्जुनसे यह कह दे कि “तुम्हें अपना गाण्डीवधनुष दूसरेको दे देना चाहिये” वह मनुष्य इस जगतमें उनका वध्य है।” आपने आज अर्जुनसे ऐसी ही बात कह दी है ।। ततः सत्यां प्रतिज्ञां तां पार्थेन प्रतिरक्षता । मच्छन्दादवमानो<यं कृतस्तव महीपते

Transliteration

tataḥ satyāṃ pratijñāṃ tāṃ pārthena pratirakṣatā | macchandād avamāno ’yaṃ kṛtas tava mahīpate ||

Translation

“Siapa yang berkata kepada Arjuna, ‘Berikan busur Gāṇḍīvamu kepada orang lain,’ orang itu di dunia ini menjadi layak dibunuh olehnya. Engkau hari ini telah mengatakan hal yang sama kepada Arjuna. Maka, wahai raja, ketika Pārtha sedang menjaga ikrar sejatinya itu, penghinaan ini terjadi olehmu, bertentangan dengan kehendakku.”

Word by Word

ततःthereupon/then

सत्याम्in (its being) true

प्रतिज्ञाम्vow/promise

ताम्that

पार्थेनby Partha (Arjuna)

प्रतिरक्षताis being protected/guarded

मत्-छन्दात्from my wish/at my desire

अवमानःinsult/disrespect

अयम्this

कृतःdone/made

तवof you/your

महीपतेO king (lord of the earth)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Partha (Arjuna)

Mahipati (the king, Dhritarashtra by context)

Gandiva (Arjuna’s bow)

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?

A truthful vow (pratijñā) creates a binding ethical boundary; speech that provokes or violates that boundary becomes an act of dishonor (avamāna) with serious consequences, especially in a dharma-centered warrior context.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to the king that Arjuna is upholding a solemn pledge connected with his Gandiva, and he characterizes the king’s statement as an affront made contrary to Sanjaya’s counsel—escalating tension around the vow’s implications.