Shloka 18

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 47 — Arjuna’s Deterrent Declaration

Sañjaya’s Report

Devanagari script

यदा द्रष्टा भीमसेनेन नागान्‌ निपातितान्‌ गिरिकूटप्रकाशान्‌ । कुम्भैरिवासृग्वमतो भिन्नकुम्भां- स्तदा युद्ध धार्तराष्ट्रोडन्वतप्स्यत्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | yadā draṣṭā bhīmasenena nāgān nipātitān girikūṭaprakāśān | kumbhair ivāsṛg vamato bhinnakumbhāṁs tadā yuddhe dhārtarāṣṭro 'nvatapsyat ||

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ଦୁର୍ୟୋଧନ ଯେତେବେଳେ ଦେଖିବ, ଭୀମସେନ ପର୍ବତଶିଖର ସମାନ ବିଶାଳ ଗଜରାଜମାନଙ୍କୁ ଭୂମିରେ ପତିତ କରିଛନ୍ତି, ତାଙ୍କର କୁମ୍ଭସ୍ଥଳ ଭିଦିତ ଓ ରକ୍ତ ଭାଙ୍ଗିଥିବା ଘଡ଼ାରୁ ଢାଳିବା ପରି ବହୁଛି—ସେତେବେଳେ ଯୁଦ୍ଧମଧ୍ୟରେ ଧୃତରାଷ୍ଟ୍ରପୁତ୍ରଙ୍କୁ ଏହି ସଂଘର୍ଷ ଉତ୍ପ୍ରେରଣ କରିଥିବାର ଦାହକ ପଶ୍ଚାତ୍ତାପ ହେବ।

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा

• द्रष्टा: the seer/observer (Duryodhana)
• द्रष्टा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रष्टृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भीमसेनेन: by Bhimasena
• भीमसेनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• नागान्: elephants
• नागान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• निपातितान्: felled/struck down
• निपातितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-पत्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• गिरिकूटप्रकाशान्: resembling mountain-peaks
• गिरिकूटप्रकाशान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गिरिकूटप्रकाश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• कुम्भैः: with/from (their) temples (kumbhas)
• कुम्भैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• इव: as if/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• असृक्: blood
• असृक्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: असृज्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वमतः: vomiting/oozing forth
• वमतः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural, शतृ (present active participle)

• भिन्नकुम्भान्: with split temples
• भिन्नकुम्भान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्नकुम्भ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• धार्तराष्ट्रः: the son of Dhritarashtra (Duryodhana)
• धार्तराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अनुतप्स्यत्: will regret/repent
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-तप्
• Form: Simple Future (लृट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Dhārtarāṣṭra (Duryodhana)
• Nāgāḥ (war-elephants)
• Kumbha (elephant temples/forehead; jars in simile)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the moral weight of initiating unjust conflict: even the instigator may later be consumed by remorse when confronted with the real, gruesome consequences of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya foretells a battlefield scene where Bhīma fells massive war-elephants, splitting their temples so blood streams out; seeing this carnage, Duryodhana (Dhārtarāṣṭra) is predicted to feel intense regret for having set the war in motion.