Shloka 83

Devanagari script

तन्न जानामि वार्ष्णेय यदि जीवति वा न वा । कुरूणां चापि तत्‌ सैन्यं सागरप्रतिमं महत्‌,वार्ष्णेय! पता नहीं, इस समयतक अर्जुन जीवित है या नहीं। महासमरमें जिसके वेगको सहन करना देवताओंके लिये भी असम्भव है, कौरवोंकी वह सेना समुद्रके समान विशाल है, तात! उस कौरवी-सेनामें महाबाहु अर्जुनने अकेले ही प्रवेश किया है

Transliteration

tan na jānāmi vārṣṇeya yadi jīvati vā na vā | kurūṇāṃ cāpi tat sainyaṃ sāgara-pratimaṃ mahat |

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O Vārṣṇeya, I do not know whether Arjuna is still alive or not. The army of the Kurus is vast like the ocean; in that great battle its onrush is such that even the gods would find it impossible to withstand. And into that Kaurava host the mighty-armed Arjuna has entered alone.”

Word by Word

• {'tat': 'that', 'na jānāmi': 'I do not know', 'vārṣṇeya': 'O descendant of the Vṛṣṇis (address to Kṛṣṇa)', 'yadi': 'whether/if', 'jīvati': 'is alive, lives', 'vā ... vā': 'either ... or', 'kurūṇām': 'of the Kurus/Kauravas', 'ca api': 'and also', 'sainyam': 'army, host', 'sāgara-pratimam': 'comparable to the ocean', 'mahat': 'great, vast'}

Speaker

युधिष्ठिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kṛṣṇa (Vārṣṇeya)
• Arjuna
• Kurus/Kauravas
• Devas (gods)
• Kaurava army (sainya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical burden of leadership and kinship in war: even a dharmic king like Yudhiṣṭhira is shaken by uncertainty over a loved one’s survival, while also recognizing the overwhelming scale of violence. It underscores humility before fate and the human cost that persists even in a righteous cause.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Drona Parva’s intense fighting, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Kṛṣṇa as Vārṣṇeya, confessing he does not know whether Arjuna lives. He describes the Kaurava forces as ocean-like and nearly irresistible, and notes that Arjuna has entered that massive enemy formation alone, heightening the tension and fear for Arjuna’s safety.