Shloka 38

Devanagari script

धनंजय महाबाहो शिरो मे तात लम्बते । दीयतामुपधान वै यद्‌ युक्तमिह मन्यसे,“महाबाहु धनंजय! मेरा सिर लटक रहा है। बेटा! यहाँ इसके अनुरूप जो तकिया तुम्हें ठीक जान पड़े, वह ला दो”

Transliteration

dhanañjaya mahābāho śiro me tāta lambate | dīyatām upadhānaṃ vai yad yuktam iha manyase ||

Translation

धनंजय महाबाहो शिरो मे तात लम्बते । दीयतामुपधानं वै यद्युक्तमिह मन्यसे ॥

Word by Word

धनंजयO Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)

महाबाहोO mighty-armed one

शिरःhead

मेmy

तातO dear son

लम्बतेhangs down / droops

दीयताम्let (it) be given

उपधानम्a pillow / head-rest

वैindeed

यत्which (thing)

युक्तम्proper / suitable

इहhere

मन्यसेyou think / consider

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)

upadhāna (pillow/headrest)

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?

Even amid hardship, one should act with propriety and discernment (yukta): the request is not merely for comfort, but for what is fitting in the situation, reflecting restraint and ethical awareness.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker addresses Arjuna (Dhanañjaya) affectionately, stating that his head is drooping from fatigue or weakness and asking him to provide a suitable headrest (upadhāna).