Mahabharata 7.187.3 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 187, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

यत्‌ तु मर्षितमस्माभिभर्भवत: प्रियकाम्यया । त एते परिविश्रान्ता: पाण्डवा बलवत्तरा:

Transliteration

yat tu marṣitam asmābhir bhavataḥ priyakāmyayā | ta ete pariviśrāntāḥ pāṇḍavā balavattarāḥ ||

Translation

A tolerância que mostramos—por desejo de te agradar—ao não golpear o inimigo enquanto dormia, teve esta consequência: aqueles Pāṇḍavas recuperaram plenamente as forças e, tendo descansado, tornaram-se ainda mais formidáveis. Na guerra, a contenção mal colocada, movida por apaziguamento pessoal e não por juízo sensato, pode converter-se em ônus estratégico e moral.

Word by Word

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

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• मर्षितम्: forgiven/endured
• मर्षितम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृष्
• Form: kta (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Plural

• भवतः: of you/for you (honorific)
• भवतः: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: भवत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• प्रियकाम्यया: by the desire to please (you)
• प्रियकाम्यया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रियकाम्य
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• ते: they/those
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एते: these
• एते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• परिविश्रान्ताः: fully rested
• परिविश्रान्ताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-विश्रम्
• Form: kta (past active/resultative participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पाण्डवाः: the Pandavas
• पाण्डवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बलवत्तराः: stronger/more powerful
• बलवत्तराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत्
• Form: Comparative (tara), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• Pāṇḍavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how restraint in warfare, when motivated by mere appeasement (priyakāmyā) rather than principled dharma or prudent strategy, can backfire—granting the opponent time to recover and return stronger. It implicitly contrasts thoughtful ethical restraint with indecisive or politically motivated hesitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana addresses a respected superior (bhavataḥ), complaining that the Kauravas refrained from attacking the enemy while they slept in order to please him. As a result, the Pāṇḍavas have rested and regained strength, becoming more formidable on the battlefield.