Shloka 14

द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय 128: दुर्योधनस्य परसेनाप्रवेशः

Duryodhana’s Incursion and the Tumult of Battle

Devanagari script

लोकापवादभीरुत्वात्‌ सो*हं पार्थ वृकोदरम्‌

Transliteration

lokāpavādabhīrutvāt so’haṃ pārtha vṛkodaram

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Out of fear of public reproach, O Pārtha, I—(thus constrained)—[spoke/acted regarding] Vṛkodara.”

Word by Word

• लोकापवादभीरुत्वात्: from fear of public censure
• लोकापवादभीरुत्वात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोकापवादभीरुत्व
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• पार्थ: O son of Pritha (Arjuna)
• पार्थ: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• वृकोदरम्: Bhima (the wolf-bellied one)
• वृकोदरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृकोदर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Vṛkodara (Bhīma)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line highlights how fear of public blame (lokāpavāda) can pressure a person’s speech and decisions, raising an ethical tension between acting from inner dharma versus acting to protect reputation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya addresses Arjuna (Pārtha) and refers to Bhīma (Vṛkodara), explaining that his stance or words were shaped by fear of public reproach—an admission of social and moral constraint amid the war narrative.