Shloka 18

Adhyāya 20 — Rājadharma Argument for Paternal Inheritance and Timely Conciliation

Devanagari script

एकादशैता: पृतना एकतश्न समागता: । एकतश्च महाबाहुर्बहुरूपी धनंजय:

Transliteration

ekādaśaitāḥ pṛtanā ekataś ca samāgatāḥ | ekataś ca mahābāhur bahurūpī dhanañjayaḥ ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: «Даже если эти одиннадцать ратей соберутся на одной стороне, а на другой будет стоять лишь Дхананджая Арджуна — могучерукий, способный принимать многие облики, — он один достаточен, чтобы противостоять им всем.»

Word by Word

• एकादश: eleven
• एकादश: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकादश
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

• एताः: these
• एताः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

• पृतनाः: armies
• पृतनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृतना
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

• एकतः: on one side
• एकतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकतः

• समागताः: assembled / come together
• समागताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-गम्
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• एकतः: on one side
• एकतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकतः

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• महाबाहुः: mighty-armed
• महाबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• बहुरूपी: of many forms
• बहुरूपी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुरूपिन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• धनंजयः: Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• धनंजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Arjuna (Dhanañjaya)
• Kaurava armies (eleven akṣauhiṇīs, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Numerical superiority is not decisive when opposed by a single warrior of extraordinary capability and righteous resolve; the verse highlights the primacy of inner strength, skill, and dharmic backing over mere quantity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a stark contrast of forces: the Kauravas’ eleven battle-hosts on one side, and Arjuna alone on the other, emphasizing Arjuna’s formidable power and readiness to confront overwhelming opposition.