Shloka 22

Duryodhana-śibira-praveśaḥ — The Pāṇḍavas Enter the Kaurava Camp; The Burning of Arjuna’s Chariot

Devanagari script

किमनेनाति भुग्नेन वाग्भि: काष्ठसधर्मणा । रथेष्वारोहत क्षिप्रं गच्छामो वसुधाधिपा:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | kim anenāti bhugnena vāgbhiḥ kāṣṭhasadharmaṇā | ratheṣv ārohata kṣipraṃ gacchāmo vasudhādhipāḥ ||

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അതിയായി തകർന്ന, ഉണങ്ങിയ മരക്കട്ടിപോലെയുള്ള ഈ വാക്കുകൾ കൊണ്ട് എന്ത് പ്രയോജനം? ഹേ ഭൂമിപതിമാരേ, വേഗം രഥങ്ങളിൽ കയറുക; നാം പോകാം।

Word by Word

किम्what (use/need)

अनेनwith/by this

अतिexcessively, very

भुग्नेनbent, broken, feeble

वाग्भिःwith words/speech

काष्ठसधर्मणाhaving the nature of wood (wood-like)

रथेषुin/on the chariots

आरोहतmount, climb up

क्षिप्रम्quickly

गच्छामःwe go

वसुधाधिपाःO lords of the earth (kings)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

र

रथ (chariots)

व

वसुधाधिपाः (kings/lords of the earth)

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?

In a crisis, empty, lifeless talk is condemned; decisive, timely action is urged. The verse critiques speech that is emotionally numb or ineffectual and prioritizes purposeful movement aligned with the demands of the moment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya urges the assembled rulers to stop wasting time in faltering, unproductive speech and to mount their chariots immediately, indicating a transition from deliberation or lament to urgent action on the battlefield.