Shloka 14

Adhyāya 10: Śrutakarmā’s Engagements; Prativindhya–Citra Duel; Drauṇi Advances toward Bhīma

Devanagari script

नीतिमन्तस्तथा युक्ता दक्षा रक्ताश्न ते हता: । न त्वेव कार्य नैराश्यमस्माभिवविजयं प्रति

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

nītimantastathā yuktā dakṣā raktāś ca te hatāḥ |

na tveva kārya nairāśyam asmābhir vijayaṃ prati ||

Translation

سنجے نے کہا—آپ کے وہ آدمی جو سیاست میں درست، ساز و سامان میں آراستہ، عمل میں ماہر اور وفاداری میں ثابت قدم تھے، مارے گئے۔ مگر پھر بھی ہمیں فتح کے بارے میں مایوس نہیں ہونا چاہیے۔

Word by Word

• {'sañjaya uvāca': 'Sañjaya said', 'nītimantaḥ': 'possessing nīti

• prudent, guided by right policy/ethical conduct', 'tathā': 'and also

• likewise', 'yuktāḥ': 'yoked/connected

• well-prepared, properly equipped, disciplined', 'dakṣāḥ': 'skilful, competent, efficient', 'raktāḥ': 'attached, devoted, loyal (to their lord/side)', 'ca': 'and', 'te': 'those (your men)', 'hatāḥ': 'slain, killed', 'na tu eva': 'but not indeed

• nevertheless', 'kārya': 'to be done

• one should do (impersonal injunction)', 'nairāśyam': 'despair, hopelessness', 'asmābhiḥ': 'by us

• we (instrumental plural)', 'vijayam prati': 'towards/with regard to victory'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kaurava side (implied: 'your men')
• Victory (vijaya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even after severe losses—of capable, principled, and loyal warriors—one should not surrender to despair. The verse emphasizes steadiness of mind and continued effort toward one’s objective, presenting resilience as a practical and ethical discipline.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, reporting the battlefield to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, acknowledges that many renowned and devoted warriors on the Kaurava side have been killed. He then urges that they should still not lose hope about achieving victory.