Shloka 21

Gadā-yuddhe Bhīma–Duryodhanayoḥ Tumulaḥ Saṃprahāraḥ

Mace-duel’s intense exchange

Devanagari script

प्रमाणकोट्यां पातस्य दाहस्य जतुवेश्मनि । सभायामवहासस्य सर्वस्वहरणस्यथ च

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

pramāṇakoṭyāṃ pātasya dāhasya jatuveśmani |

sabhāyām avahāsasya sarvasvaharaṇasya ca ||

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ— “ପ୍ରମାଣକୋଟୀର ଜଳରେ ପତନର ଅପମାନ, ଜତୁବେଶ୍ମ (ଲାକ୍ଷାଗୃହ)ରେ ଦାହ କରିବା ଚେଷ୍ଟା, ସଭାରେ ଉପହାସ, ଏବଂ ସର୍ବସ୍ୱହରଣ—ଏସବୁ (ସ୍ମରଣ କରି ସେ କହିଲା)।”

Word by Word

• प्रमाणकोट्याम्: in (the water of) Pramāṇakoṭī
• प्रमाणकोट्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाणकोटि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• पातस्य: of the throwing/falling (in)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• दाहस्य: of the burning
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाह
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• जतुवेश्मनि: in the lac-house
• जतुवेश्मनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जतुवेश्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• सभायाम्: in the assembly
• सभायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• अवहासस्य: of the mockery/derision
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवहास
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सर्वस्वहरणस्य: of the taking away of everything
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वस्वहरण
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अथ: and/then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Pramāṇakoṭī (water/place)
• Jatuveśman (lac-house)
• Sabhā (royal assembly/court)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse gathers a catalogue of grave violations—attempted murder, arson, public dishonor, and dispossession—showing how adharma accumulates consequences. Ethically, it highlights the tension between justified accountability and the consuming pull of vengeance, a recurring Mahābhārata concern.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports a character’s recollection of past atrocities: being thrown into the Pramāṇakoṭī waters, the attempt to burn him in the lac-house, ridicule in the royal assembly, and the taking of his entire wealth. These memories are invoked to justify a resolve to bring those sufferings to an end through confrontation in the war context.