Shloka 45

Duryodhana-vadha-pratikriyā: Harṣa, Nindā, and Kṛṣṇa’s Nīti-vyākhyā (Śalya-parva 60)

Devanagari script

'पृथ्वीनाथ! जिसे छल और कपट ही प्रिय था तथा जिसने कपटसे ही इस वैरकी नींव डाली थी, वही यह दुर्योधन आज मारा जाकर पृथ्वीपर सो रहा है ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

pṛthvīnātha! yasya chala-kapaṭaṃ eva priyaṃ āsīt tathā yena kapaṭena eva asya vairasya nīṃvaṃ nyadhīyata, sa eva eṣa duryodhanaḥ adya hataḥ san pṛthivyāṃ śete ||

duḥśāsana-prabhṛtayaḥ sarve te ca ugravādinaḥ |

rādheyaḥ śakuniś caiva hatāḥ sma tava śatravaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: “Hỡi chúa tể của cõi đất, kẻ chỉ ưa lừa trá và xảo quyệt, kẻ đã dùng mưu gian đặt nền cho mối thù này—chính Duryodhana ấy—nay đã bị giết và nằm trên đất. Và tất cả những kẻ của ngài từng buông lời cay độc, hung bạo—Duhshasana cùng những kẻ còn lại—cả Radheya (Karna) và Shakuni nữa—đều đã bị hạ: kẻ thù của ngài đã bị diệt.”

Word by Word

• {'pṛthvīnātha': 'lord of the earth

• king (address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra)', 'chala': 'deceit, trickery', 'kapaṭa': 'fraud, guile, hypocrisy', 'priya': 'dear, pleasing

• one who is fond of', 'vaira': 'enmity, feud', 'nīṃva (nīva)': 'foundation, base (of a structure

• figuratively of a conflict)', 'duryodhana': 'Duryodhana, eldest Kaurava', 'hata': 'slain, killed', 'pṛthivyām śete': 'lies on the earth/ground', 'duḥśāsana-prabhṛtayaḥ': 'beginning with Duhshasana

• Duhshasana and others', 'ugravādinaḥ': 'speakers of harsh/violent words

• abusive in speech', 'rādheya': 'son of Radha

• Karna', 'śakuni': 'Shakuni of Gandhara', 'śatravaḥ': 'enemies'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Dhritarashtra
• Duryodhana
• Duhshasana
• Karna (Radheya)
• Shakuni
• Earth/ground (pṛthivī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames the fall of Duryodhana as the moral consequence of building a conflict on deceit and manipulation. It underscores that adharma—especially guile that seeds hatred—ultimately collapses, bringing ruin to its architects and allies.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to King Dhritarashtra that Duryodhana has been killed and now lies on the ground. He adds that Duhshasana and the other harsh-tongued Kauravas, along with Karna and Shakuni, have also been slain—signaling the near-total destruction of Dhritarashtra’s side.