Shloka 193

Devanagari script

अमित्रा बाधिता: सर्वे को नु स्वन्ततरो मया । “संजय! मैंने जीवित शत्रुओंके ही मस्तकपर पैर रखा। यथाशक्ति धनका दान और मित्रोंका प्रिय किया। साथ ही सम्पूर्ण शत्रुओंको सदा ही क्लेश पहुँचाया। संसारमें कौन ऐसा पुरुष है, जिसका अन्त मेरे समान सुन्दर हुआ हो?

Transliteration

amitrā bādhitāḥ sarve ko nu svantataro mayā |

Translation

Санджая сказал: «Все мои враги сокрушены — кто же, право, встретил конец счастливее моего? Я ставил ногу на головы врагов, ещё живых; по мере сил раздавал богатство в дар и делал угодное друзьям; и неизменно причинял страдания всем своим противникам. В этом мире какой муж достиг столь прекрасного завершения, как я?»

Word by Word

अमित्राःenemies

बाधिताःafflicted/harassed

सर्वेall

कःwho

नुindeed/then (emphatic particle)

स्वन्ततरःhaving a better/finer end; more fortunate in ending

मयाby me

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a morally charged self-assessment at the edge of death: the speaker equates a “good end” with worldly dominance—crushing enemies, rewarding allies, and asserting power. It implicitly invites ethical scrutiny of such pride, contrasting external success with deeper dharmic evaluation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a warrior’s boastful reflection on his life and impending end: he claims to have trampled living enemies, given charity according to his means, pleased friends, and constantly harmed foes—then asks rhetorically who could have a more auspicious death than his.