Shloka 16

Devanagari script

शत्रुपक्षं समृध्यन्तं यो मोहात्‌ समुपेक्षते । व्याधिराप्यायित इव तस्य मूलं छिनत्ति सः,जो निरन्तर बढ़ते हुए शत्रुपक्षकी ओरसे मोहवश उदासीन हो जाता है, बढ़े हुए रोगकी भाँति शत्रु उस उदासीन राजाकी जड़ काट डालता है

Transliteration

śatrupakṣaṃ samṛddhyantaṃ yo mohāt samupekṣate | vyādhir āpyāyita iva tasya mūlaṃ chinatti saḥ ||

Translation

Sesiapa yang kerana keliru memandang remeh pihak musuh yang kian makmur—musuh itu, seperti penyakit yang dibiarkan membesar, akan menebasnya hingga ke akar umbi.

Word by Word

शत्रु-पक्षम्the enemy side/faction

समृद्ध्यन्तम्prospering, growing

यःwho

मोहात्from delusion; out of infatuation

समुपेक्षतेneglects, disregards

व्याधिःa disease

आप्यायितःnourished, swollen, increased

इवlike, as if

तस्यof him/that (person)

मूलम्the root; foundation

छिनत्तिcuts off, severs

सःhe; that (enemy/disease)

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duryodhana

enemy faction (śatrupakṣa)

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?

A ruler must not ignore a rival’s growing power; indifference born of delusion lets danger mature until it destroys one’s very foundation—like a disease that, once nourished, becomes fatal.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana voices a hard-edged counsel of statecraft: he warns that allowing an opposing party to flourish unchecked is politically suicidal, urging vigilance against strengthening adversaries.