Shloka 18

Abhimanyu’s Śrāddha; Vyāsa’s Assurance of the Unborn Heir (अभिमन्योः श्राद्धं तथा गर्भरक्षणोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

एको होकेन सतत युध्यमाने यदि प्रभो

Transliteration

eko hokena satata yudhyamāne yadi prabho

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: «О владыка, если найдётся человек, который непрестанно сражается…» — это замечание очерчивает нравственное напряжение между одинокой доблестью и неумолимыми требованиями битвы, намекая, что даже героическая стойкость должна быть взвешена мерой дхармы.

Word by Word

• एकः: alone, single
• एकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• होकेन: by/with a shout (battle-cry)
• होकेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: होकिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• सततम्: constantly, continuously
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत

• युध्यमाने: while (he is) fighting
• युध्यमाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle, Ātmanepada usage), Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• प्रभो: O lord/master
• प्रभो: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line foregrounds a dharmic question: continuous fighting and solitary heroism are not automatically virtuous; they must be evaluated in light of rightful purpose, proportionality, and the broader moral order that governs warfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana, as narrator, introduces or continues a conditional statement addressed to a ‘lord’ (prabho), setting up a discussion about a situation where a single warrior is constantly engaged in combat—likely as a prelude to judging conduct, outcome, or duty in that scenario.