Shloka 376

Devanagari script

तथास्य दृश्यते चेष्टा नीतिश्वैव विशाम्पते । 'जनार्दन! निश्चय ही यह अपने कुलका विनाश करनेवाला पैदा हुआ है। प्रजानाथ! इसकी नीति और चेष्टा ऐसी ही दिखायी देती है

Transliteration

tathāsya dṛśyate ceṣṭā nītiś caiva viśāmpate | janārdana niścayaṃ hi eṣa svakulavināśakaraḥ prajā-nātha | asya nītir ceṣṭā ca tathāiva dṛśyate |

Translation

ହେ ପ୍ରଜାଧିପତି! ତାହାର ଚେଷ୍ଟା ଓ ନୀତି ମଧ୍ୟ ସେହିପରି ଦେଖାଯାଉଛି। ‘ଜନାର୍ଦନ! ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ଏହିଜଣ ନିଜ କୁଳବିନାଶ ପାଇଁ ଜନ୍ମିଛି। ପ୍ରଜାନାଥ! ତାହାର ଯୁକ୍ତି ଓ କ୍ରିୟା ଠିକ୍ ସେହିପରି ପ୍ରତୀତ ହୁଏ।’

Word by Word

तथाthus, in that manner

अस्यof him/this (person)

दृश्यतेis seen, appears

चेष्टाconduct, effort, activity

नीतिःpolicy, conduct, prudence

चand

एवindeed, just, only

विशाम्of the people/subjects

पतेO lord

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa)

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 ethical scrutiny of a leader’s visible conduct (ceṣṭā) and guiding policy (nīti): when these consistently point toward harm—especially the ruin of one’s own lineage and social order—such a trajectory is judged as morally and politically destructive.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports an assessment made in the war context: someone’s behavior and strategy are being observed and interpreted as clear signs that he will bring about the destruction of his own clan; the remark is addressed to Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa) using honorific epithets.