Shloka 11

Saṃjaya’s Warning to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: Accountability, Alliance-Shift, and the Pāṇḍava Strategic Edge

Devanagari script

राजन! पाण्डवलोग जब द्यूतक्रीड़ामें छले गये और हारकर वनमें जाने लगे, उस समय आप बच्चोंकी तरह बार-बार मुसकराकर अपनी प्रसन्नता प्रकट कर रहे थे ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

rājan! pāṇḍavāḥ yadā dyūtakrīḍāyāṁ chālitāḥ parājitāś ca vanaṁ gantum ārabdhāḥ, tadā tvaṁ bālakavad bhūyaḥ bhūyaḥ smayamānaḥ svāṁ prītīṁ prakaṭayasi ||

pravṛṣataḥ śaratrātān arjunasya śitān bahūn |

apy arṇavā viśuṣyeyuḥ kiṁ punar māṁsayonayaḥ ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: «О царь! Когда Пандавов обманули в игре в кости и, проиграв, они собирались уйти в лес, ты снова и снова улыбался, как ребёнок, открыто показывая своё довольство. Но когда Арджуна начнёт осыпать залпами бесчисленные острые стрелы, и океаны могут иссохнуть — что уж говорить о существах, рождённых из плоти!»

Word by Word

• प्रवर्षतः: when (he) rains down / showers
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रवर्षत् (√वृष्)
• Form: Lat (present), 3rd, singular, Parasmaipada

• शरत्रातान्: arrow-protected (i.e., arrows as protection/cover); volleys of arrows
• शरत्रातान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरत्रात (शर + त्रात)
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• अर्जुनस्य: of Arjuna
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• शितान्: sharp
• शितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• अपि: even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अर्णवाः: oceans
• अर्णवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्णव
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• विशुष्येयुः: might dry up
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√शुष्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, plural, Parasmaipada

• किम्: what then? / how much more?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम्

• पुनः: again; rather (in the sense of 'then')
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• मांसयोनयः: those born of flesh (flesh-born creatures/men)
• मांसयोनयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांसयोनि (मांस + योनि)
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Pāṇḍavāḥ (Pandavas)
• Arjuna
• dyūtakrīḍā (dice game)
• vana (forest/exile)
• arṇava (ocean)
• śara (arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Gloating over injustice (the Pandavas being cheated and exiled) is morally corrosive and invites grave consequences; Sanjaya warns that the wrong done will return as overwhelming destruction in war, symbolized by Arjuna’s unstoppable arrow-volley.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya rebukes Dhritarashtra for having shown childish delight when the Pandavas were tricked in the dice game and sent to the forest, and he foretells the devastating power of Arjuna in the coming conflict—so great that even oceans could ‘dry up,’ let alone mortal bodies.