Shloka 12

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

Devanagari script

अस्यतां फाल्गुन: श्रेष्ठो गाण्डीवं धनुषां बरम्‌ । केशव: सर्वभूतानामायुधानां सुदर्शनम्‌

Transliteration

asyatāṃ phālgunaḥ śreṣṭho gāṇḍīvaṃ dhanuṣāṃ varam | keśavaḥ sarvabhūtānām āyudhānāṃ sudarśanam ||

Translation

अस्यतां फाल्गुनः श्रेष्ठो गाण्डीवं धनुषां वरम् । केशवः सर्वभूतानामायुधानां सुदर्शनम् ॥

Word by Word

• अस्यताम्: let (them) hurl / shoot
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (क्षेपणे)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 3rd, dual, परस्मैपद

• फाल्गुनः: Phalguna (Arjuna)
• फाल्गुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: फाल्गुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रेष्ठः: the best
• श्रेष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गाण्डीवम्: the Gandiva (bow)
• गाण्डीवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाण्डीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धनुषाम्: of bows
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• वरम्: the best/excellent
• वरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• केशवः: Keshava (Krishna)
• केशवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वभूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• आयुधानाम्: of weapons
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• सुदर्शनम्: Sudarshana (the discus); the well-seeing/beautifully-formed (weapon)
• सुदर्शनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Phālguna (Arjuna)
• Gāṇḍīva
• Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• Sudarśana (discus)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores that power and skill—symbolized by Gāṇḍīva and Sudarśana—should be exercised as instruments of dharma. Martial capability is presented as legitimate when aligned with rightful duty and protection of order, not as violence for its own sake.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes an exhortation to action: Arjuna (Phālguna) is urged to shoot with his famed bow Gāṇḍīva, and Kṛṣṇa (Keśava) is invoked with his Sudarśana discus—highlighting the readiness of the Pāṇḍava side’s principal champions and their divine-backed armaments as war approaches.