Shloka 13

Dhanañjaya-viraha-śoka and the Resolve to Enter Gandhamādana (धनंजय-विरह-शोकः गन्धमादन-प्रवेश-संकल्पश्च)

Devanagari script

सततं य: क्षमाशील: क्षिप्पमाणो5प्यणीयसा । ऋजुमार्गप्रपन्नस्य शर्मदाताभयस्य च,जो छोटे लोगोंके आक्षेप करनेपर भी सदा क्षमाशील होनेके कारण उस आक्षेपको सह लेता है तथा सरल मार्गसे अपनी शरणमें आनेवाले लोगोंको सुख पहुँचाकर उन्हें अभयदान देता है, वही अर्जुन, जब कोई कुटिल मार्गका आश्रय ले छल-कपटसे उसपर आघात करना चाहता है तब वह वज्धारी इन्द्र ही क्यों न हो, उसके लिये काल और विषके समान भयंकर हो जाता है

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | satataṃ yaḥ kṣamāśīlaḥ kṣipyamāṇo 'py aṇīyasā | ṛjumārga-prapannasya śarmadātā 'bhayasya ca | sa eva pārtha yadā kaścid vakramārgaṃ samāśritya chala-kapaṭair abhihantuṃ icchati | vajradhara indro 'pi tasya kāla-viṣa-samaṃ bhayaṅkaraḥ bhavati ||

Translation

Юдхиштхира сказал: «Тот, кто всегда терпелив — кто выносит даже насмешки ничтожных — кто даёт прибежище пришедшим прямым путём, даруя им утешение и свободу от страха: тот самый человек, о Арджуна, когда кто-то выбирает кривые тропы и желает ударить его обманом и коварством, становится для нападающего страшен, как Смерть и как яд — даже если нападающий был бы сам Индра, владыка ваджры.»

Word by Word

सततम्always, constantly

यःwho

क्षमाशीलःforbearing, patient

क्षिप्यमाणःbeing reviled/abused (being hurled at)

अपिeven, although

अणीयसाby something very small/slight (i.e., by a slight cause/means)

ऋजुमार्गप्रपन्नस्यof one who has resorted to the straight path

शर्मदातृgiver of comfort/peace

अभयस्यof fearlessness/safety

चand

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Arjuna (Pārtha)

Indra (Vajradhara)

Kāla (Death/Time)

Viṣa (poison)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True virtue combines patience with discernment: one should forgive petty insults and protect those who approach honestly, but become uncompromisingly formidable against deceitful aggression. Mercy is for the sincere; sternness is for treachery.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Arjuna, praising the ideal of a noble protector: tolerant toward minor offenders and generous to those who seek refuge, yet terrifying to anyone who attempts harm through crooked, deceitful means—even if the aggressor were as mighty as Indra.