Shloka 93

Devanagari script

कथमन्ये करिष्यन्ति पुत्रेभ्य: पुत्रिण: स्पृहाम्‌ । “मेरे जीते-जी यदि पिताको अपने केश पकड़े जानेका अपमानपूर्ण कष्ट उठाना पड़ा, तब दूसरे पुत्रवान्‌ पुरुष किसलिये पुत्रोंकी अभिलाषा करेंगे?

Transliteration

katham anye kariṣyanti putrebhyaḥ putriṇaḥ spṛhām |

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。「私が生きている間に、わが父が髪をつかまれるという屈辱の苦しみを耐えねばならなかったのなら、他の息子持ちの男たちは、いったい何のために息子を望み続けるのか。」

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• करिष्यन्ति: will do / will make
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• पुत्रेभ्यः: from sons
• पुत्रेभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Plural

• पुत्रिणः: having sons, son-possessing
• पुत्रिणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्रिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्पृहाम्: desire, longing
• स्पृहाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पृहा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• father (pitar-; unnamed in the Sanskrit line)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical cost of war and dynastic ambition: even having sons—normally a source of pride and continuity—can become a cause of unbearable dishonor and suffering when violence and political conflict overturn filial protection and social respect.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya voices a bitter reflection prompted by a scene of extreme humiliation—an elder/father figure being grabbed by the hair—using it to question the very value of desiring sons, since sons may fail to protect elders and may even become the occasion for their disgrace amid the Kurukṣetra catastrophe.