Shloka 11

Yudhiṣṭhira–Droṇa Saṃgrāma

Engagement and Countermeasures

Devanagari script

मया प्रतिज्ञा महती जयद्रथवधे कृता । श्वो5स्मि हन्ता दुरात्मानं पुत्रध्नमिति केशव,“केशव! मैंने जयद्रथ-वधके लिये यह भारी प्रतिज्ञा कर ली है कि कल मैं अपने पुत्रके घातक दुरात्मा सिंधुराजको अवश्य मार डालूँगा

Transliteration

mayā pratijñā mahatī jayadratha-vadhe kṛtā | śvo 'smi hantā durātmānaṃ putra-dhnam iti keśava ||

Translation

ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು— ಅರ್ಜುನನು ನುಡಿದನು: ಹೇ ಕೇಶವ, ಜಯದ್ರಥನ ವಧಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ನಾನು ಮಹಾ ಪ್ರತಿಜ್ಞೆ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ—ನಾಳೆ ನನ್ನ ಪುತ್ರನ ಹಂತಕನಾದ ಆ ದುಷ್ಟಾತ್ಮನನ್ನು ನಾನು ನಿಶ್ಚಯವಾಗಿ ಸಂಹರಿಸುವೆನು.

Word by Word

मयाby me

प्रतिज्ञाa vow, a pledge

महतीgreat, mighty

जयद्रथ-वधेin/for the slaying of Jayadratha

कृताmade, undertaken

श्वःtomorrow

अस्मिI am

हन्ताslayer; one who will kill

दुरात्मानम्the wicked-souled one

पुत्रध्नम्son-slayer (killer of my son)

इतिthus, saying

केशवO Keshava

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

Jayadratha (Sindhurāja)

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?

The verse highlights the moral weight of a solemn vow (pratijñā) in a dharmic framework: once publicly undertaken—especially by a warrior in crisis—it becomes an ethical obligation that shapes action, even amid intense personal grief.

What is happening in the narrative?

A great vow has been made to kill Jayadratha, identified as the ‘son-slayer.’ The speaker addresses Keśava (Kṛṣṇa), declaring that the killing will be accomplished the next day, setting the urgency and stakes for the coming battle.