Shloka 18

Abhimanyu’s Śrāddha; Vyāsa’s Assurance of the Unborn Heir (अभिमन्योः श्राद्धं तथा गर्भरक्षणोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

एको होकेन सतत युध्यमाने यदि प्रभो

Transliteration

eko hokena satata yudhyamāne yadi prabho

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana nói: “Muôn tâu chúa thượng, nếu có một người cứ mãi không ngừng giao chiến…,”—lời ấy đặt ra thế giằng co đạo lý giữa dũng khí đơn độc và đòi hỏi khắc nghiệt của chiến trường, ngầm nhắc rằng ngay cả sự bền bỉ anh hùng cũng phải được cân đo theo trật tự của dharma.

Word by Word

• एकः: alone, single
• एकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• होकेन: by/with a shout (battle-cry)
• होकेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: होकिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• सततम्: constantly, continuously
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत

• युध्यमाने: while (he is) fighting
• युध्यमाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle, Ātmanepada usage), Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• प्रभो: O lord/master
• प्रभो: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line foregrounds a dharmic question: continuous fighting and solitary heroism are not automatically virtuous; they must be evaluated in light of rightful purpose, proportionality, and the broader moral order that governs warfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana, as narrator, introduces or continues a conditional statement addressed to a ‘lord’ (prabho), setting up a discussion about a situation where a single warrior is constantly engaged in combat—likely as a prelude to judging conduct, outcome, or duty in that scenario.