Shloka 11

Devanagari script

यश्न वक्ष्यति संग्रामे तवास्मीति पराजित: । एतच्छुत्वा वचो महां कुरुध्वं हितमात्मन:,'योद्धाओ! मैं तुम्हारे कल्याणकी बात बता रहा हूँ। तुममेंसे जो कोई अपनी पराजय स्वीकार करते हुए रणभूमिमें यह कहेगा कि मैं आपका हूँ, आपने मुझे युद्धमें जीत लिया है, वह सामने खड़ा रहे तो भी मैं उसका वध नहीं करूँगा। मेरी यह बात सुनकर तुम्हें जिसमें अपना हित दिखायी पड़े, वह करो

Transliteration

yaḥ na vakṣyati saṅgrāme tavāsmīti parājitaḥ | etac chrutvā vaco mahān kurudhvaṃ hitam ātmanaḥ ||

Translation

ویشَمپاین نے کہا—“جو شکست کھا کر بھی میدانِ جنگ میں ‘میں تمہارا ہوں’ نہ کہے، وہ میرا یہ عظیم قول سن کر اپنے لیے جو بات مفید سمجھے، وہی کرے۔”

Word by Word

यःwho

नnot

वक्ष्यतिwill say

संग्रामेin battle

तवof you / your

अस्मिI am

इतिthus (quotative)

पराजितःdefeated

एतत्this

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

वचःspeech/words

ममof me / my

कुरुध्वम्do (you all)

हितम्what is beneficial

आत्मनःof oneself / for yourself

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

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?

The verse highlights a battlefield ethic: once a defeated opponent acknowledges submission (“I am yours”), the proper course is restraint and protection rather than further violence, and one should act with an eye to true self-interest aligned with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a proclamation concerning conduct in combat: defeated fighters are expected to declare surrender, and upon hearing this authoritative instruction, the warriors are told to choose the course that best serves their welfare.