Shloka 8

धृतराष्ट्रस्य बलाबलचिन्ता

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Strength and Preference for Śama

Devanagari script

“इसी प्रकार प्रायः यह भी देखता हूँ कि साधु पुरुष उपकारी मनुष्योंके उपकारका बदला चुकानेके लिये उनका बारंबार महान्‌ प्रिय कार्य करना चाहते हैं ।।

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | agniḥ sācivyakartā syāt khāṇḍave tatkṛtaṃ smaran | arjunasya api bhīme 'smin kuru-pāṇḍava-samāgame |

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: “Demikian pula, sering kulihat para mulia ingin berulang kali melakukan perbuatan yang sungguh menyenangkan untuk membalas jasa para penolong. Agni pasti akan menjadi sekutu, mengingat pertolongan yang dilakukan Arjuna di hutan Khāṇḍava. Dalam pertemuan dan benturan dahsyat antara Kuru dan Pāṇḍava ini, ia niscaya datang menolong Arjuna.”

Word by Word

• अग्निः: Agni (fire-god)
• अग्निः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• साचिव्यकर्ता: one who renders assistance/ally
• साचिव्यकर्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: साचिव्यकर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्यात्: would be / should be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• खाण्डवे: in (the) Khāṇḍava (forest)
• खाण्डवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: खाण्डव
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• तत्: that (deed)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कृतम्: done
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Past passive participle (kta), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• स्मरन्: remembering
• स्मरन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ
• Form: Present active participle (śatṛ), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अर्जुनस्य: of Arjuna
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• भीमे: in/at Bhīma (i.e., with Bhīma present; or in Bhīma's case)
• भीमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कुरुपाण्डुसमागमे: in the meeting/encounter of the Kurus and the Pāṇḍus
• कुरुपाण्डुसमागमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु + पाण्डु + समागम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Agni
• Khāṇḍava forest (Khāṇḍava-vana)
• Arjuna
• Kurus
• Pāṇḍavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Noble persons do not forget help received; they actively seek fitting occasions to repay benefactors with meaningful, pleasing deeds. Gratitude and reciprocity are presented as ethical marks of sādhus.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana predicts that Agni will support Arjuna in the impending Kuru–Pāṇḍava confrontation because Agni remembers Arjuna’s earlier assistance during the Khāṇḍava forest episode.