Shloka 15

Duryodhana-vadha-pratikriyā: Harṣa, Nindā, and Kṛṣṇa’s Nīti-vyākhyā (Śalya-parva 60)

Devanagari script

अस्माकं सहजं मित्र पाण्डवा: शुद्धपौरुषा:

Transliteration

asmākaṃ sahajaṃ mitra pāṇḍavāḥ śuddha-pauruṣāḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: “The Pāṇḍavas are our natural, inborn allies, my friend—men of untainted manliness.”

Word by Word

• अस्माकम्: of us / our
• अस्माकम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• सहजम्: inborn / natural
• सहजम्: विशेषण (of implied noun, e.g., मित्रम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहज
• Form: नपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मित्र: O friend
• मित्र: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र
• Form: नपुंसक, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• पाण्डवाः: the Pandavas
• पाण्डवाः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शुद्धपौरुषाः: of pure manliness/valor; purely valiant
• शुद्धपौरुषाः: विशेषण (of पाण्डवाः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्धपौरुष
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethical recognition of innate bonds and virtue: the Pāṇḍavas are portrayed as naturally aligned with ‘us’ and characterized by pure valor, implying that true alliance should rest on righteousness and noble conduct rather than mere factional interest.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, characterizes the Pāṇḍavas as natural allies and as men of stainless courage—an evaluative remark that frames them as inherently honorable within the unfolding war narrative.