Shloka 9

Devanagari script

सो5हं तव हान्तकर: सुहृद्वधकरस्तथा । न शान्तिमधिगच्छामि पश्यंस्त्वां दुःखितं क्षितौ,मैं ही आपके जीवनका अन्त करनेवाला हूँ और मैं ही दूसरे-दूसरे सुहदोंका भी वध करनेवाला हूँ। आपको इस दुःखमयी दुरवस्थामें भूमिपर पड़ा देख मुझे शान्ति नहीं मिलती है

Transliteration

so 'haṃ tava hāntakaraḥ suhṛd-vadhakaraḥ tathā | na śāntim adhigacchāmi paśyaṃs tvāṃ duḥkhitaṃ kṣitau ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Akulah yang membawa kepada kematianmu, dan demikian juga pembunuh sahabat-sahabat yang dikasihi. Melihat engkau terbaring di bumi dalam kesengsaraan begini, aku tidak menemukan ketenteraman.”

Word by Word

सःhe (I, as referred to)

अहम्I

तवof you / your

हान्तकःender (one who brings an end)

सुहृद्-वध-करःdoer of the killing of friends

तथाalso / likewise

नnot

शान्तिम्peace

अधिगच्छामिI attain / obtain

पश्यन्seeing

त्वाम्you

दुःखितम्sorrowful / distressed

क्षितौon the ground

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

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 foregrounds the ethical burden of violence: even when war is undertaken under the banner of duty, the agent may still experience profound remorse and a loss of inner peace upon witnessing the suffering caused—especially to elders and loved ones.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a grievously afflicted elder lying on the battlefield, confessing that he feels personally responsible for the death and slaughter of dear ones; the sight of the elder’s suffering leaves him unable to find peace.