Shloka 21

Devanagari script

सोदर्या: पाण्डवा वीरा भ्रातरस्तेडरिसूदन । संगच्छ तैर्महाबाहो मम चेदिच्छसि प्रियम्‌,'शत्रुसूदन! वीर पाण्डव तुम्हारे सगे भाई हैं। महाबाहो! यदि तुम मेरा प्रिय करना चाहते हो तो अपने उन भाइयोंसे मिल जाओ

Transliteration

sodaryāḥ pāṇḍavā vīrā bhrātaras te ’risūdana | saṅgaccha tair mahābāho mama ced icchasi priyam ||

Translation

سنجے نے کہا— اے دشمنوں کے قاہر! بہادر پانڈو تمہارے سگے بھائی ہیں۔ اے قوی بازو! اگر تم میرا دل خوش کرنا چاہتے ہو تو اپنے اُن بھائیوں کے پاس جا کر اُن سے جا ملو۔

Word by Word

सोदर्याःuterine (born of the same mother)

पाण्डवाःthe Pandavas

वीराःheroes, valiant

भ्रातरःbrothers

तेthey / those

अरिसूदनO slayer of foes

संगच्छgo together; join; meet

तैःwith them

महाबाहोO mighty-armed one

ममof me; my

चेत्if

इच्छसिyou desire; you wish

प्रियम्a pleasing thing; what is dear (to me)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pāṇḍavas

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 foregrounds the ethical claim of blood-kinship: even amid impending war, one should recognize true familial bonds and seek alignment with rightful brothers, implying that loyalty should follow dharma and legitimate relationship rather than factional hostility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya addresses a warrior (styled ‘slayer of foes’ and ‘mighty-armed’) and urges him to go and join the Pāṇḍavas, emphasizing that they are his full brothers and that doing so would fulfill Sañjaya’s heartfelt request.