Shloka 43

अर्जुनस्य सैन्धवाभिमुखगमनम् तथा विन्दानुविन्दयोर्वधः

Arjuna’s advance toward Saindhava and the fall of Vinda–Anuvinda

Devanagari script

या च वै बहुयाजिनां ब्राह्मणानां श्ववृत्तिनाम्‌ । आस्यमैथुनिकानां च ये दिवा मैथुने रता:,जो ब्राह्मण होकर सर्दीसे और क्षत्रिय होकर युद्धसे डरते हैं, जिस गाँवमें एक ही कुएँका जल पीया जाता हो और जहाँ कभी वेदमन्त्रोंकी ध्वनि न हुई हो, ऐसे स्थानोंमें जो छः: महीनोंतक निवास करते हैं, जो शास्त्रकी निन्दामें तत्पर रहते, दिनमें मैथुन करते और सोते हैं, जो दूसरोंके घरोंमें आग लगाते और दूसरोंको जहर दे देते हैं, जो कभी अग्निहोत्र और अतिथि-सत्कार नहीं करते तथा गायोंके पानी पीनेमें विघ्न डालते हैं, जो रजस्वला सत्रीका सेवन करते और शुल्क लेकर कन्या देते हैं, जो बहुतोंकी पुरोहिती करते, ब्राह्मण होकर सेवा-वृत्तिसे जीविका चलाते, मुँहमें मैथुन करते अथवा दिनमें स्त्री-सहवास करते हैं, जो ब्राह्मणको कुछ देनेकी प्रतिज्ञा करके फिर लोभवश नहीं देते हैं, उन सबको जिन लोकों अथवा दुर्गतिकी प्राप्ति होती है, उन्हींको मैं भी प्राप्त होऊँ; यदि कलतक जयद्रथको न मार डालूँ

Transliteration

yā ca vai bahuyājināṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ śvavṛttinām | āsyamaithunikānāṃ ca ye divā maithune ratāḥ ||

Translation

Arjuna said: “May I attain the very same worlds—or the same ruin—that falls to those Brahmins who, though born to sacred duty, live like dogs; who commit perversions such as oral intercourse; and who are addicted to sexual indulgence even by day. If I do not slay Jayadratha by tomorrow, let that fate be mine.”

Word by Word

याwhich (f.)

चand

वैindeed

बहुयाजिनाम्of those who perform sacrifices for many (as priests)

ब्राह्मणानाम्of Brahmins

श्ववृत्तिनाम्of those living like dogs (base livelihood)

आस्यमैथुनिकानाम्of those engaging in oral intercourse

चand

येwho

दिवाby day

मैथुनेin sexual intercourse

रताःengaged, devoted

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna (Ajuna/Arjuna)

Brahmins (brāhmaṇāḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses a severe ethical contrast: sacred status without righteous conduct is condemned. Arjuna frames his vow with a self-imprecation—if he fails his pledged duty, he accepts the same disgraceful fate as those who violate dharma while claiming religious identity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Drona Parva, after the crisis surrounding Jayadratha, Arjuna makes a fierce vow to kill him by the next day. To underscore the seriousness of his pledge, he invokes a curse upon himself, equating failure with the worst moral downfall described in the surrounding passage.