Shloka 15

अङ्गददूतवाक्यं लङ्काप्राकारभेदनं च

Angada’s Embassy and the Breach of Laṅkā’s Ramparts

Devanagari script

नैव प्राज्ञा गतश्रीकं भर्तारमुपयुञ्जते । युञ्जानमनुयुञ्जीत न श्रिय: संक्षये वसेत्‌

Transliteration

naiva prājñā gataśrīkaṃ bhartāram upayuñjate | yuñjānam anuyuñjīta na śriyaḥ saṃkṣaye vaset ||

Translation

Jayadratha said: “A wise woman does not attach herself to a husband whose fortune has departed. Rather, she should align herself with one who is actively striving; she should not remain where prosperity is in decline.”

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• प्राज्ञा: a wise woman
• प्राज्ञा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• गतश्रीकम्: one whose prosperity has gone (fallen from fortune)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गतश्रीक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भर्तारम्: husband
• भर्तारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उपयुञ्जते: associates with/attends upon/accepts
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-युज्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• युञ्जानम्: one who is striving/engaged (in effort)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज्
• Form: Present active participle (Parasmaipada), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अनुयुञ्जीत: should follow/should join/should support
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-युज्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• श्रियः: of fortune/prosperity
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• संक्षये: in decline/in loss
• संक्षये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वसेत्: should dwell/remain
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

जयद्रथ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Jayadratha
• bhartā (husband)
• Śrī (prosperity/fortune)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse advances a pragmatic ethic of association: wisdom is portrayed as aligning with effort and rising fortune rather than remaining with decline. It frames prosperity (śrī) as something to be sought where there is active striving (yuñjāna), implying that discernment includes choosing supportive circumstances and capable leadership.

What is happening in the narrative?

Jayadratha is speaking and articulates a justification for shifting loyalty/attachment based on fortune and exertion. In the Vana Parva context, this kind of reasoning functions as self-serving rhetoric—presenting opportunism as ‘wisdom’—and contrasts with the epic’s broader ideals of steadfastness and dharma.