Shloka 13

आर्जुन–गन्धर्वसंवादः

Arjuna–Gandharva Dialogue on Honor, Night-Power, and Purohita-Nīti

Devanagari script

अथवाहं करिष्यामि कुलस्यास्य विमोचनम्‌ | फलसंस्था भविष्यामि कृत्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम्‌,“अथवा मैं अपनेको मृत्युके मुखमें डालकर इस कुलको संकटसे छुड़ाऊँगी। यह अत्यन्त दुष्कर कर्म कर लेनेसे मेरी मृत्यु सफल हो जायगी

Transliteration

athavāhaṁ kariṣyāmi kulasyāsya vimocanam | phalasaṁsthā bhaviṣyāmi kṛtvā karma suduṣkaram ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: “Nếu không, chính ta sẽ đem lại sự giải thoát cho dòng tộc này. Bằng việc hoàn thành một hành động cực kỳ khó khăn, ta sẽ khiến cái chết của mình trở nên có ý nghĩa—tự ném mình vào hàm răng của tử thần để gia tộc này được thoát khỏi hiểm nguy.”

Word by Word

अथवाor else

अहम्I

करिष्यामिI will do

कुलस्यof the family

अस्यof this

विमोचनम्release, deliverance

फलसंस्थाhaving its fruit (fulfilled in result)

भविष्यामिI will become

कृत्वाhaving done

कर्मdeed, act

सुदुष्करम्very difficult

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

kula (the lineage/family)

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 dharmic ideal of taking personal responsibility in a time of collective danger: one may choose even extreme self-sacrifice so that the family/lineage is protected and one’s life (and death) becomes ‘fruitful’ through a difficult but purposeful act.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker, as reported by Vaiśampāyana, declares a resolve: if necessary, they will undertake an exceptionally difficult deed, even risking death, to free their family/lineage from an impending संकट (danger/crisis).