Shloka 16

चित्रसेनगन्धर्वैः कौरवसंनिपातः

Citrasena and the Kaurava engagement

Devanagari script

इन्द्रत्वे तु स्थितं वीर बलहीनं पराजितम्‌ । आवयोश्व मिथो भेदे प्रयतिष्यन्त्यतन्द्रिता:,इन्द्रने कहा--वीर! तुम्हारा बल अद्भुत है, अतः तुम्हीं देव-शत्रुओंका संहार करो। वीरवर! मैं तुम्हारे सामने पराजित होकर बलहीन सिद्ध हो गया हूँ। अतः तुम्हारे पराक्रमसे चकित होकर लोग मेरी अवहेलना करेंगे। यदि मैं इन्द्र पदपर स्थित रहूँ, तो भी सब लोग मेरा उपहास करेंगे और आलस्य छोड़कर हम दोनोंमें परस्पर फूट डालनेका प्रयत्न करेंगे

Transliteration

indratve tu sthitaṃ vīra balahīnaṃ parājitam | āvayoś ca mitho bhede prayatiṣyanty atandritāḥ ||

Translation

シャクラ（インドラ）は言った。「おお勇士よ、たとえ我がインドラの位に据わっていようとも、我は敗れて力を失った者として立つ。もし我ら二人の間に分裂が生じれば、人々は怠惰を捨て、たゆまず裂け目を作ろうと努めるであろう。」

Word by Word

इन्द्रत्वेin Indra-hood / in the status of Indra

तुbut, however

स्थितम्situated, remaining

वीरO hero

बलहीनम्strengthless, devoid of power

पराजितम्defeated

आवयोःof us two

चand

मिथःmutually, between each other

भेदेin division, in dissension

प्रयतिष्यन्तिthey will strive / will attempt

अतन्द्रिताःunwearied, vigilant

Speaker

श॒क्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śakra (Indra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

High office alone does not guarantee true authority; when strength and merit are questioned, reputation becomes vulnerable and others may exploit the situation by sowing division. Ethical leadership requires guarding against factionalism and maintaining unity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra (Śakra) addresses a hero, admitting his own defeat and weakness even while holding the title of Indra, and warns that people will attempt to create a split between them, using rivalry and public ridicule to undermine authority.