Shloka 303

अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः

Devanagari script

तथाहमपि सम्प्राप्तो लूनपक्ष इव द्विज: । सूत! जैसे खेलते हुए बालक किसी पक्षीको पकड़कर उसकी दोनों पाँखें काट लेते और प्रसन्नतापूर्वक उसे छोड़ देते हैं। फिर पंख कट जानेके कारण उसका उड़कर कहीं जाना सम्भव नहीं हो पाता। उसी कटे हुए पंखवाले पक्षीके समान मैं भी भारी दुर्दशामें पड़ गया हूँ

Transliteration

tathāham api samprāpto lūnapakṣa iva dvijaḥ | sūta!

Translation

ଧୃତରାଷ୍ଟ୍ର କହିଲେ—“ମୁଁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଏବେ କଟା ପଖାଳି ପକ୍ଷୀ ପରି ଏହି ଅବସ୍ଥାକୁ ପହଞ୍ଚିଛି। ହେ ସୂତ! ଯେପରି ଖେଳୁଥିବା ଛୁଆମାନେ ଗୋଟିଏ ପକ୍ଷୀକୁ ଧରି ତାହାର ଦୁଇଟି ପଖାଳି କାଟି ଆନନ୍ଦରେ ଛାଡ଼ିଦିଅନ୍ତି; କିନ୍ତୁ ପଖାଳି କଟିଗଲେ ସେ ଉଡ଼ି କେଉଁଠିକୁ ଯାଇପାରେ ନାହିଁ—ସେହିପରି ମୁଁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଘୋର ଦୁର୍ଦ୍ଦଶାରେ ପଡ଼ିଛି, ପଳାଇବାରେ ଅସମର୍ଥ।”

Word by Word

तथाthus, in that manner

अहम्I

अपिalso, even

सम्प्राप्तःhaving reached; having come to (a state)

लूनपक्षःwith wings cut off

इवlike, as

द्विजःbird (lit. twice-born)

सूतO charioteer (Sūta)!

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Sūta

bird (dvija)

boys/children (implicit in simile)

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 highlights the ethical weight of consequences: careless or cruel actions can leave another being permanently powerless, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra recognizes a similar helplessness in himself—suggesting that moral failures and the outcomes of war can ‘clip’ one’s agency and peace.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra, hearing of the calamities of the Kurukṣetra war, speaks to the Sūta in anguish. He uses a vivid simile of a bird released after its wings are cut to describe his own ruined condition—alive, yet unable to ‘fly’ out of suffering or avert the disaster.