Shloka 17

Jarāsandha-prastāvaḥ — Nīti-cintā ca Jarāsandhasya janma-vṛttāntaḥ

The Jarāsandha Prelude: Strategic Counsel and Birth Account

Devanagari script

काषायं सुलभ पश्चान्मुनीनां शममिच्छताम्‌ । साम्राज्यं तु भवेच्छक्यं वयं योत्स्यामहे परान्‌

Transliteration

kāṣāyaṃ sulabha paścān munīnāṃ śamam icchatām | sāmrājyaṃ tu bhavec chakyaṃ vayaṃ yotsyāmahe parān ||

Translation

アルジュナは言った。「もし別の道を選べば、後に我らに容易なのは、安寧を求める出家者の赭色の衣をまとうことだけでしょう。だが我らは王権を得る力がある。ゆえに我らは必ずや敵と戦うのです。」

Word by Word

• काषायम्: ochre robe (saffron cloth)
• काषायम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काषाय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सुलभम्: easy to obtain
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुलभ
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पश्चात्: afterwards; then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात्

• मुनीनाम्: of sages
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• शमम्: calm; tranquility
• शमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इच्छताम्: desiring
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada, Present active participle (शतृ) in genitive plural agreeing with मुनीनाम्

• साम्राज्यम्: sovereignty; empire
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम्राज्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but; however
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• भवेत्: would be; might be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Optative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शक्यम्: possible; achievable
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular, potential passive participle (तव्यत्/यत् sense) from √शक

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Plural

• योत्स्यामहे: we shall fight
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध्
• Form: Future, First, Plural, Atmanepada

• परान्: others; enemies
• परान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

अर्जुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• muni (sages/ascetics)
• kāṣāya (ochre robe)
• sāmrājya (sovereignty)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Arjuna contrasts renunciation with royal duty: for a kṣatriya, abandoning rightful action leads only to the outward marks of ascetic peace, whereas pursuing just sovereignty requires the courage to confront enemies; thus he affirms decisive action aligned with one’s svadharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sabha Parva context of counsel and political crisis, Arjuna declares that retreating into a peace-seeking ascetic posture is not their path; since they have the strength and claim to rule, he urges that they will fight their opponents to secure sovereignty.