Shloka 13

शल्यस्य सेनापत्याभ्युपगमः | Śalya’s Acceptance of Command

Devanagari script

“अपने भानजे अभिमन्युके मारे जानेका समाचार सुनकर श्रीकृष्ण सुखकी नींद नहीं सोते हैं। हम सब लोग उनके अपराधी हैं, फिर वे हमें कैसे क्षमा कर सकते हैं? ।।

Transliteration

abhimanyor vināśena na śarma labhate 'rjunaḥ | sa kathaṁ mad-hite yatnaṁ prakariṣyati yācitaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: “Apabila mendengar khabar bahawa Abhimanyu, anak saudara baginda, telah terbunuh, Śrī Kṛṣṇa tidak lagi dapat tidur dengan tenteram. Kami semua bersalah terhadapnya; maka bagaimana dia dapat mengampuni kami? Dengan musnahnya Abhimanyu, Arjuna juga tidak memperoleh ketenangan. Maka bagaimana, walau dipohon sekalipun, dia dapat berusaha demi kesejahteraanku, sedang hatinya dimakan dukacita?”

Word by Word

• अभिमन्योः: of Abhimanyu
• अभिमन्योः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिमन्यु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• विनाशेन: by/through the destruction (death)
• विनाशेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• शर्म: comfort/peace (relief)
• शर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• लभते: obtains/gets
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• मदर्थे: for my sake / in my interest
• मदर्थे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मदर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• यत्नम्: effort
• यत्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रकरिष्यति: will undertake / will do
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ
• Form: Future, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• याचितः: being requested/entreated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याच्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna
• Abhimanyu

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how profound personal loss disrupts inner steadiness (śarma) and can override ordinary obligations; ethical judgment must account for grief’s power and the limits it places on one’s capacity to act for others.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reflects on the aftermath of Abhimanyu’s death: Arjuna is unable to find peace, and Sañjaya doubts that Arjuna can be persuaded to make efforts aimed at Sañjaya’s (or another’s) welfare while he is overwhelmed by sorrow.