Shloka 20

शल्यस्य सेनापत्याभ्युपगमः | Śalya’s Acceptance of Command

Devanagari script

उग्र॑ तेपे तप: कृष्णा भर्तृणामर्थसिद्धये । निक्षिप्य मान॑ दर्प च वासुदेवसहोदरा

Transliteration

ugraṁ tepe tapaḥ kṛṣṇā bhartṝṇām arthasiddhaye | nikṣipya mānaṁ darpaṁ ca vāsudeva-sahodarā ||

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—വാസുദേവന്റെ സഹോദരി കൃഷ്ണ (ദ്രൗപദി) ഭർത്താക്കന്മാരുടെ ലക്ഷ്യസിദ്ധിക്കായി ഭീകരമായ തപസ്സു ചെയ്തു. മാനം ദർപ്പം എന്നിവ ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് അവൾ നിയന്ത്രണവും ആത്മസംയമവും സ്വീകരിച്ചു, അവരുടെ വിജയം ഉറപ്പാക്കാൻ.

Word by Word

उग्रम्fierce, severe (austerity)

तेपेperformed (austerity), practiced

तपःausterity, penance

कृष्णाKrishnaa (Draupadi)

भर्तॄणाम्of (her) husbands

अर्थसिद्धयेfor the accomplishment of the purpose

निक्षिप्यhaving cast aside, abandoning

मानम्pride, self-respect

दर्पम्arrogance, haughtiness

चand

वासुदेवसहोदराthe sister of Vasudeva's son (i.e., Subhadra, sister of Krishna)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

क

कृष्णा / द्रौपदी (Kṛṣṇā / Draupadī)

व

वासुदेव (Vāsudeva, i.e., Kṛṣṇa)

भ

भर्तारः (her husbands, i.e., the Pāṇḍavas collectively)

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?

The verse highlights an ethical ideal: success pursued for others—especially for one’s dependents or partners—should be grounded in self-discipline and humility. By setting aside māna (self-regarding pride) and darpa (arrogant overconfidence), one’s effort (tapas) becomes morally purified and more conducive to rightful accomplishment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Draupadī (Kṛṣṇā), identified as Vāsudeva’s sister, undertaking intense austerities with the intention of securing the fulfillment of her husbands’ objectives. The emphasis is on her deliberate renunciation of pride and arrogance while striving for their success.