Shloka 13

Devanagari script

कष्ट हीदं व्यवसितं पाण्डवेन महात्मना । पुत्रशोकाभिततप्तेन प्रतिज्ञा महती कृता,महामना पाण्डवने यह बड़ा कष्टप्रद निश्चय किया है। उन्होंने पुत्रशोकसे संतप्त होकर बड़ी भारी प्रतिज्ञा कर ली है। उधर राजा जयद्रथका पराक्रम भी महान्‌ है। तथापि अर्जुन अपनी उस प्रतिज्ञाको पूरी कर लेंगे; क्योंकि उनके भाई भी बड़े पराक्रमी हैं और उनके पास सेनाएँ भी बहुत हैं

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

kaṣṭa hīdaṃ vyavasitaṃ pāṇḍavena mahātmanā |

putraśokābhitataptena pratijñā mahatī kṛtā ||

Translation

Sanjaya said: “This is indeed a grievous resolve undertaken by the great-souled Pandava. Scorched by the anguish of his son’s death, he has made a mighty vow.”

Word by Word

कष्टम्hard, painful (thing)

हिindeed, for

इदम्this

व्यवसितम्resolved, determined

पाण्डवेनby the Pandava (Arjuna)

महात्मनाby the great-souled one

पुत्रशोकाभिततप्तेनby one scorched with grief for (his) son

प्रतिज्ञाvow, pledge

महतीgreat, mighty

कृताmade, undertaken

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Pandava (Arjuna, contextually)

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 highlights how intense personal grief can harden into a binding vow, raising the ethical tension between righteous duty and emotion-driven retaliation; it underscores the weight of a kshatriya’s pledged word and the peril of decisions made while “burning” with sorrow.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that the Pandava (Arjuna, in the surrounding episode) has taken a severe and momentous vow, prompted by the torment of grief over his son’s death—setting the stage for a decisive, vow-driven confrontation in the battle.