Shloka 33

Devanagari script

उत्तर उवाच एकस्त्वं पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ बहूनेतान्‌ महारथान्‌ । कथं जेष्यसि संग्रामे सर्वशस्त्रास्त्रपारगान्‌,उस समय उत्तर बोला--पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ] आप तो अकेले हैं, इन सम्पूर्ण अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंके पारगामी बहुसंख्यक महारथियोंको युद्धमें कैसे जीत सकेंगे?

Transliteration

Uttara uvāca: ekas tvaṃ pāṇḍavaśreṣṭha bahūn etān mahārathān | kathaṃ jeṣyasi saṅgrāme sarvaśastrāstrapāragān ||

Translation

ឧត្តរ បាននិយាយ៖ «ឱ ពណ្ឌវៈដ៏ប្រសើរបំផុត! អ្នកមានតែឯង ប៉ុន្តែពួកនេះមានមហារថីជាច្រើន ដែលស្ទាត់ជំនាញទាំងអាវុធ និងអាស្រ្ត។ តើអ្នកនឹងឈ្នះពួកគេក្នុងសង្គ្រាមបានដូចម្តេច?»

Word by Word

उत्तरःUttara (name)

उवाचsaid

एकःalone, single

त्वम्you

पाण्डवश्रेष्ठO best of the Pāṇḍavas

बहून्many

एतान्these

महारथान्great chariot-warriors

कथम्how?

जेष्यसिwill you conquer

संग्रामेin battle

सर्वशस्त्रास्त्रपारगान्those skilled in all weapons and missiles

Speaker

उत्तर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Uttara

Pāṇḍavaśreṣṭha (Arjuna implied)

mahārathas (Kaurava warriors implied)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a common ethical and psychological tension in dharma-yuddha: fear arises when one measures duty only by visible odds. It sets up the contrast between apparent numerical strength and true capability grounded in skill, resolve, and righteous purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

Uttara, facing the prospect of battle, expresses doubt and anxiety. Seeing many expert warriors on the opposing side, he questions how the lone Pāṇḍava hero (Arjuna, in disguise in the Virāṭa episode) could possibly defeat them.