Shloka 22

शमीवृक्षस्थायुधप्रकाशनम् / Revelation and Identification of the Weapons on the Śamī Tree

Devanagari script

तथा स्त्रीषु प्रतिश्रुत्य पौरुषं पुरुषेषु च । कत्थमानो5भिनिर्याय किमर्थ न युयुत्ससे,तुम स्त्रियों और पुरुषोंके बीच कौरवोंको हराकर अपने गोधनको वापस लानेकी प्रतिज्ञा करके पुरुषार्थके विषयमें अपनी श्लाघा करते हुए युद्धके लिये निकले थे; फिर अब क्यों युद्ध नहीं करना चाहते?

Transliteration

tathā strīṣu pratiśrutya pauruṣaṃ puruṣeṣu ca | katthamāno 'bhiniryāya kimarthaṃ na yuyutsase ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Engkau telah berjanji tentang keberanian lelaki di hadapan para wanita, dan mengisytiharkan keperkasaanmu di hadapan para lelaki. Dengan bermegah untuk berperang, engkau berangkat hendak menewaskan kaum Kaurava dan merampas kembali ternakanmu. Mengapa sekarang engkau enggan bertempur?”

Word by Word

तथाthus, in that manner

स्त्रीषुamong women

प्रतिश्रुत्यhaving promised

पौरुषम्manliness, valor

पुरुषेषुamong men

चand

कत्थमानःboasting, vaunting

अभिनिर्यायhaving set out, having gone forth

किमर्थम्for what reason? why?

नnot

युयुत्ससेyou wish to fight / you want to fight

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

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?

Public vows and claims of valor create a moral obligation to act consistently; for a warrior, withdrawing from a justly undertaken fight after boasting is portrayed as a lapse in honor and duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker challenges a warrior who had earlier promised—before women and men alike—to display prowess and go to battle, questioning why he now hesitates and refuses to fight.