Shloka 17
Devanagari script
यो बल धार्तराष्ट्राणां पाण्डवानां यतो भयम्
Transliteration
yo bala dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ yato bhayam
Translation
ធ្រឹតរាស្ត្រាបានមានព្រះបន្ទូលថា៖ «នរណាជាប្រភពកម្លាំងសម្រាប់កូនប្រុសរបស់ធ្រឹតរាស្ត្រ ហើយពីនរណាដែលពណ្ឌវៈទាំងឡាយមានការភ័យខ្លាច?»
Word by Word
यःwho
यः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
बलम्strength; force
बलम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootबल
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
धार्तराष्ट्राणाम्of the Dhārtarāṣṭras (sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
धार्तराष्ट्राणाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootधार्तराष्ट्र
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
पाण्डवानाम्of the Pāṇḍavas
पाण्डवानाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootपाण्डव
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
यतःfrom whom; because of whom
यतः:
Apadana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयतस्
भयम्fear
भयम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootभय
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Characters & Entities
ध
धृतराष्ट्र (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)ध
धार्तराष्ट्राः (Dhārtarāṣṭras / Kauravas)प
पाण्डवाः (Pāṇḍavas)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
The verse highlights a ruler’s concern with the true sources of power and fear in war—implying that victory depends not only on numbers but on the decisive agent (leader, champion, or strategy) who becomes the pivot of confidence for one side and dread for the other.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Sañjaya about the battlefield balance: who among the Kauravas serves as their main strength, and which figure or factor makes the Pāṇḍavas afraid—seeking clarity on the decisive forces shaping the conflict in Karṇa Parva.