Shloka 15

दक्षिणदिशि तीर्थवर्णनम्

Southern Tīrthas: Godāvarī to Dvāravatī

Devanagari script

अलं स तेषां सर्वेषामिति मे धीयते मति: । नास्ति त्वतिकृतार्थानां रणे5रीणां प्रतिक्रिया

Transliteration

alaṁ sa teṣāṁ sarveṣām iti me dhīyate matiḥ | nāsti tv atikṛtārthānāṁ raṇe 'rīṇāṁ pratikriyā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Enough—so my judgment concludes—of all their efforts. For in battle there is no effective countermeasure against foes who have already overreached and committed excess.”

Word by Word

अलम्enough; sufficient

सःhe

तेषाम्of them

सर्वेषाम्of all

इतिthus; saying

मेmy; of me

धीयेतेit is thought; it occurs (to me)

मतिःthought; opinion

नnot

अस्तिis; exists

तुbut; however

अतिकृतार्थानाम्of those who have done more than enough; over-accomplished

रणेin battle

अरीणाम्of enemies

प्रतिक्रियाcounter-action; retaliation; response

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse stresses moral and practical limits: when opponents have already crossed bounds and committed excess, ordinary ‘responses’ or remedies in battle may no longer work; one must recognize when restraint or a decisive change of course is required rather than routine retaliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana offers an evaluative remark—his considered judgment—about the situation in a conflict: he declares that enough has been done and observes that, in the battlefield context, there is no straightforward countermeasure against enemies who have become excessively transgressive.