Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ये चापि त्वां महाबाहो प्रत्युद्यान्ति नराधिपा: । तैर्विग्रहो यथा न स्यात्‌ तथा कार्य त्वयानघ,महाबाहो! निष्पाप अर्जुन! अश्वकी रक्षाके समय जो राजा तुम्हारे सामने आवें, उनके साथ भरसक युद्ध न करना पड़े, ऐसी चेष्टा तुम्हें करनी चाहिये

Transliteration

ye cāpi tvāṃ mahābāho pratyudyānti narādhipāḥ | tair vigraho yathā na syāt tathā kāryaṃ tvayānagha ||

Translation

ಮಹಾಬಾಹು, ನಿರ್ದೋಷಿ ಅರ್ಜುನ! ಅಶ್ವರಕ್ಷಣೆಯ ವೇಳೆ ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ಎದುರಿಸಲು ಬರುವ ರಾಜರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಸಂಘರ್ಷ ಉಂಟಾಗದಂತೆ ನೋಡಿಕೋ. ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾದಷ್ಟು ಯುದ್ಧದ ಅವಶ್ಯಕತೆ ಬಾರದಂತೆ ನಿನ್ನ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯವನ್ನು ನೆರವೇರಿಸಲು ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಿಸು.

Word by Word

येwho (those who)

चand

अपिalso/even

त्वाम्you

महाबाहोO mighty-armed one

प्रत्युद्यान्तिcome forth/advance to meet (you)

नराधिपाःkings (lords of men)

तैःwith them/by them

विग्रहःconflict/fight

यथाso that/in such a way that

नnot

स्यात्would be/should be

तथाthus/in that manner

कार्यम्to be done/should be done

त्वयाby you

अनघO blameless one

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Arjuna

narādhipāḥ (kings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in a mission backed by royal authority, dharma favors restraint: one should aim to fulfill the objective while minimizing violence and preventing unnecessary conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the Aśvamedha context, Yudhiṣṭhira instructs Arjuna that if kings come out to challenge him, he should act so that a fight does not arise—seeking a nonviolent resolution where possible.