Shloka 11

Devanagari script

संजय! मेरे इस जीवनको धिक्कार है। आज मैं सुहृदोंसे हीन होकर इस घृणित दशाको पहुँच गया हूँ ।। कृपणं वर्तयिष्यामि शोच्य: सर्वस्य मन्दधी: । अहमेव पुरा भूत्वा सर्वलोकस्य सत्कृत:

Transliteration

sañjaya! mama asya jīvanako dhikkāraḥ asti. adya ahaṁ suhṛdbhiḥ hīnaḥ san etāṁ ghṛṇitāṁ daśāṁ prāptaḥ. kṛpaṇaṁ vartayiṣyāmi śocyaḥ sarvasya mandadhīḥ. aham eva purā bhūtvā sarvalokasya satkṛtaḥ.

Translation

“สัญชัยเอ๋ย ชีวิตของเรานี้ช่างน่าชิงชังนัก วันนี้เราขาดผู้หวังดีทั้งหลายแล้วตกสู่สภาพอันน่ารังเกียจนี้ ต่อแต่นี้เราจักดำรงอยู่ด้วยความอัตคัด—เป็นที่เวทนาของคนทั้งปวง ปัญญาทึบ—ทั้งที่ครั้งหนึ่งเรานี่เองเคยได้รับการยกย่องจากทั่วทั้งโลก”

Word by Word

कृपणम्miserably, wretchedly (as an object/accusative of manner)

वर्तयिष्यामिI shall live/lead (my life), I shall conduct myself

शोच्यःto be lamented, pitiable

सर्वस्यof everyone

मन्दधीःdull-witted (one)

अहम्I

एवindeed, just

पुराformerly, earlier

भूत्वाhaving been

सर्वलोकस्यof the whole world

सत्कृतःhonoured, well-respected

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Sañjaya

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?

The verse highlights the ethical consequence of failed discernment in leadership: a ruler who neglects wise counsel and enables wrongdoing may later face isolation, public pity, and self-reproach. Honor and status are shown to be fragile when not grounded in dharma and sound judgment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra, hearing reports of the devastating war from Sañjaya, breaks into lamentation. He condemns his own life, admits he has become bereft of true well-wishers, and foresees a miserable existence—despite having once been widely honored as king.