Shloka 19

Devanagari script

स कल्याणि बन दुर्ग दूरं द्रौणिरितो गत: । तस्य त्वं पातनं संख्ये कथं ज्ञास्यसि शोभने

Transliteration

sā kalyāṇi vana-durga-dūraṃ drauṇir ito gataḥ | tasya tvaṃ pātanaṃ saṅkhye kathaṃ jñāsyasi śobhane ||

Translation

ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ນາງຜູ້ເປັນມງຄົນ, ດຣອຸນິ ໄດ້ໄປໄກຈາກປ້ອມຄ່າຍໃນປ່ານີ້ແລ້ວ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ໂອ ນາງຜູ້ງາມ, ເຈົ້າຈະຮູ້ໄດ້ແນວໃດເຖິງການພ່າຍແພ້ຂອງເຂົາໃນສົງຄາມ?»

Word by Word

सःhe

कल्याणिO auspicious one

वन-दुर्गात्from the forest-fort/stronghold

दूरम्far away

द्रौणिःDrauni (son of Drona, Ashvatthaman)

इतःfrom here

गतःgone

तस्यof him

त्वम्you

पातनम्the causing to fall; downfall; slaying

सङ्ख्येin battle

कथम्how

ज्ञास्यसिwill you know

शोभनेO beautiful one

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā)

Droṇa

vana-durga (forest stronghold)

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 limits of knowledge amid war: when a key actor has moved beyond one’s reach, certainty about outcomes (such as a warrior’s defeat) becomes difficult. It underscores how conflict produces distance, confusion, and unreliable access to truth.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā) has gone far away from the forest stronghold. Addressing a woman respectfully, he questions how she could learn of Drauṇi’s possible downfall in battle when he is no longer nearby or within immediate observation.