Shloka 2

Adhyaya 60: Self-Assertion, Daiva, and the Rhetoric of Inevitability (उद्योग पर्व)

Devanagari script

अशक्या देवसचिवा: पार्था: स्युरिति यद्‌ भवान्‌ | मन्यते तद्‌ भयं व्येतु भवतो राजसत्तम

Transliteration

aśakyā devasacivāḥ pārthāḥ syur iti yad bhavān | manyate tad bhayaṃ vyetu bhavato rājasattama ||

Translation

ରାଜଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ଆପଣ ଯଦି ଏହିପରି ଭାବୁଛନ୍ତି—‘ଦେବତାମାନେ ପାର୍ଥମାନଙ୍କ ସହାୟ, ତେଣୁ ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ଜିତିବା ଅଶକ୍ୟ’—ତେବେ ଆପଣଙ୍କ ମନରୁ ସେଇ ଭୟ ଦୂର ହେଉ।

Word by Word

• अशक्याः: invincible / impossible to be conquered
• अशक्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशक्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• देवसचिवाः: having the gods as helpers/counsellors
• देवसचिवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवसचिव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पार्थाः: the sons of Pṛthā (the Pāṇḍavas)
• पार्थाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्युः: would be / might be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: भवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मन्यते: thinks / considers
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• व्येतु: let it go away / depart
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-इ
• Form: Imperative (Lot), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भवतः: of you / your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: भवत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• राजसत्तम: O best of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजसत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Pārthas (Pāṇḍavas)
• gods (devas)
• Kuntī (implied by 'Pārthāḥ')

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Do not let fear arise from assumptions about an opponent’s ‘divine backing’; a ruler should maintain steadiness of mind and judge the situation without panic.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana reports counsel addressed to a king: the speaker urges him to abandon the fear that the Pāṇḍavas cannot be defeated because the gods support them.