Shloka 14

धृतराष्ट्रस्य संजयप्रश्नः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry to Saṃjaya on Strategic Comparisons

Devanagari script

न चेत्‌ प्रयच्छध्वममित्रघातिनो युधिष्ठटिरस्थ समभीप्सितं स्वकम्‌ । नयामि व: साश्वपदातिकुञ्जरान्‌ दिशं पितृणामशिवां शितैः शरै:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

na cet prayacchadhvam amitraghātino yudhiṣṭhirastha samabhīpsitaṃ svakam |

nayāmi vaḥ sāśvapadātikuñjarān diśaṃ pitṝṇām aśivāṃ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||

Translation

“Jika kalian tidak mengembalikan kepada Yudhiṣṭhira, sang pembunuh musuh, apa yang ia kehendaki dan yang memang menjadi haknya—bagiannya sendiri dari kerajaan—maka dengan anak panahku yang tajam akan kuhalau kalian, beserta pasukan kuda, infanteri, dan gajah, menuju arah yang celaka milik para leluhur: alam maut.”

Word by Word

• {'na cet': 'if not

• unless', 'prayacchadhvam': 'you (pl.) should give/hand over

• restore', 'amitraghātinaḥ': 'to the slayer of enemies (epithet)', 'yudhiṣṭhirasya': 'of/for Yudhiṣṭhira', 'samabhīpsitam': 'desired

• intended to obtain', 'svakam': 'one’s own

• rightful (share/possession)', 'nayāmi': 'I will lead/drive (forcefully)', 'vaḥ': 'you (pl.)', 'sa-aśva-pādāti-kuñjarān': 'together with horsemen, foot-soldiers, and elephant-riders/elephants', 'diśam': 'direction

• quarter', 'pitṝṇām': 'of the Pitṛs (ancestral spirits)

• by extension, the world of the dead', 'aśivām': 'inauspicious

• ill-omened', 'śitaiḥ': 'sharp

• whetted', 'śaraiḥ': 'with arrows'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pitṛs (ancestral spirits)
• arrows (śara)
• cavalry (aśva)
• infantry (pādāti)
• elephants/elephant corps (kuñjara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames war as a consequence of refusing a just settlement: when a rightful claim (svakam) is denied, a kṣatriya response may shift from negotiation to coercive enforcement, underscoring the ethical priority of restoring what is due to prevent destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker (introduced as Sañjaya) issues a stark warning: if Yudhiṣṭhira is not given back his desired rightful share of the kingdom, the opposing side will be driven to death by sharp arrows—along with their full military forces (horse, foot, and elephants).