Shloka 33

Duryodhana-śibira-praveśaḥ — The Pāṇḍavas Enter the Kaurava Camp; The Burning of Arjuna’s Chariot

Devanagari script

वधार्थ पाण्डुपुत्रस्य याचितां शक्तिमेव च

Transliteration

vadhārthaṃ pāṇḍuputrasya yācitāṃ śaktim eva ca

Translation

సంజయుడు పలికెను—“పాండుపుత్రుని వధించుటకై అతడు ఆ శక్తినే (దివ్య క్షిపణి/అస్త్రం) యాచించాడు.”

Word by Word

• वधार्थम्: for the purpose of killing
• वधार्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध + अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पाण्डुपुत्रस्य: of the son of Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डुपुत्रस्य: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डुपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• याचिताम्: requested/asked for
• याचिताम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: याचित (याच्)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• शक्तिम्: the spear/weapon (śakti)
• शक्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

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

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍuputra (a Pāṇḍava)
• Śakti (divine weapon)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line highlights how the pursuit of victory in war often turns on extraordinary means—boons and divine weapons—raising ethical tension: intent (vadhārtha) can drive one to seek decisive power, yet such power intensifies the moral weight of one’s choices.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that, with the aim of killing a Pāṇḍava, a śakti-weapon was specifically requested—indicating a calculated attempt to secure a single, lethal advantage against a key opponent.