Shloka 14

Dvaipāyana-hrade Duryodhanasya Māyā — Yudhiṣṭhirasya Dharmoktiḥ (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 30)

Devanagari script

दुर्योधन उवाच दिष्ट्या पश्यामि वो मुक्तानीदृशात्‌ पुरुषक्षयात्‌

Transliteration

duryodhana uvāca diṣṭyā paśyāmi vo muktān īdṛśāt puruṣakṣayāt

Translation

ଦୁର୍ଯ୍ୟୋଧନ କହିଲା—ସୌଭାଗ୍ୟବଶତଃ ଏପରି ଭୟଙ୍କର ପୁରୁଷକ୍ଷୟରୁ ତୁମେ ସମସ୍ତେ ମୁକ୍ତ ହୋଇଥିବାକୁ ମୁଁ ଦେଖୁଛି।

Word by Word

• दुर्योधनः: Duryodhana
• दुर्योधनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular

• दिष्ट्या: by good fortune; fortunately
• दिष्ट्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• पश्यामि: I see
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Present, First, Singular

• वः: you (all)
• वः: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Plural

• मुक्तानि: freed; released; saved
• मुक्तानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• ईदृशात्: from such (a)
• ईदृशात्: Apadana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• पुरुषक्षयात्: from the destruction of men; massacre
• पुरुषक्षयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषक्षय
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between human agency and destiny: after catastrophic warfare, mere survival is framed as “diṣṭi” (fortune/fate). Ethically, it underscores how leaders interpret outcomes—here, relief at being spared further mass killing—while the broader epic questions the cost of such conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śalya-parvan, amid the late and devastating phase of the Kurukṣetra war, Duryodhana addresses his men, expressing that it is fortunate to see them still alive—saved from a grievous “puruṣakṣaya,” the wholesale destruction of warriors.