Shloka 178

Devanagari script

यदाश्रौषं मन्त्रिणं वासुदेव॑ तथा भीष्मं शान्तनवं च तेषाम्‌ | भारद्वाजं चाशिषो*नुब्रुवा्ं तदा नाशंसे विजयाय संजय,संजय! जब मैंने सुना कि श्रीकृष्ण पाण्डवोंके मन्त्री हैं और शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्म तथा भारद्वाज द्रोणाचार्य उन्हें आशीर्वाद दे रहे हैं, तब मुझे विजय- प्राप्तिकी किंचित्‌ भी आशा नहीं रही

Transliteration

yadāśrauṣaṁ mantriṇaṁ vāsudevaṁ tathā bhīṣmaṁ śāntanavaṁ ca teṣām | bhāradvājaṁ cāśiṣo'nubrūvaṁs tadā nāśaṁse vijayāya sañjaya ||

Translation

When I heard that Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) had become the Pāṇḍavas’ counsellor, and that Bhīṣma, the son of Śāntanu, and Bhāradvāja’s son (Droṇa) were pronouncing blessings upon them, then, Sañjaya, I no longer held even the slightest hope of victory. The force of righteous counsel and the elders’ benediction made defeat feel inevitable.

Word by Word

• {'yadā': 'when', 'aśrauṣam': 'I heard', 'mantriṇam': 'minister, counsellor', 'vāsudevam': 'Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)', 'tathā': 'and also', 'bhīṣmam': 'Bhīṣma', 'śāntanavam': 'son/descendant of Śāntanu', 'ca': 'and', 'teṣām': 'of them (of the Pāṇḍavas)', 'bhāradvājam': 'Bhāradvāja’s (son), i.e., Droṇa', 'āśiṣaḥ': 'blessings, benedictions', 'anubrūvan': 'uttering, pronouncing (repeatedly/afterwards)', 'tadā': 'then', 'nāśaṁse': 'I do not hope

• I have no expectation', 'vijayāya': 'for victory', 'sañjaya': 'Sañjaya (addressed)'}

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Bhīṣma
• Śāntanu
• Bhāradvāja
• Droṇācārya (implied as Bhāradvāja’s son)
• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍavas (implied by 'teṣām')

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Victory is not merely a matter of armies; righteous counsel and the moral weight of elders’ blessings shape outcomes. When dharma-aligned guidance (Kṛṣṇa as counsellor) and revered authority (Bhīṣma and Droṇa) support one side, confidence in an unrighteous victory collapses.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker tells Sañjaya that upon hearing Kṛṣṇa serving as the Pāṇḍavas’ minister and Bhīṣma and Droṇa blessing them, he loses hope of winning against them, sensing that such support signals the Pāṇḍavas’ inevitable success.