Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

भूत्वा हि नृपति: पूर्व समाज्ञाप्य च मेदिनीम्‌ । कथमेकोड्द्य राजेन्द्र तिषछ्ठसे निर्जने वने

Transliteration

bhūtvā hi nṛpatiḥ pūrvaṃ samājñāpya ca medinīm | katham eko ’dya rājendra tiṣṭhase nirjane vane ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: “Xưa kia, tâu Đại vương, ngài là bậc quân vương ra lệnh khắp cõi đất. Cớ sao hôm nay, hỡi bậc tối thượng trong các vua, ngài lại đơn độc trong khu rừng hoang vắng này?”

Word by Word

• भूत्वा: having been
• भूत्वा: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• नृपतिः: king
• नृपतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पूर्वम्: formerly/before
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• समाज्ञाप्य: having commanded/ordered
• समाज्ञाप्य: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• मेदिनीम्: the earth
• मेदिनीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• एकः: alone/single
• एकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इद्य: here/now (uncertain reading)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इद्य (पाठभेद/अस्पष्ट)

• राजेन्द्र: O lord of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तिष्ठसे: you stand/remain
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: Present, लट्, Second, Singular, आत्मनेपद

• निर्जने: in a deserted (place)
• निर्जने: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• rājendra (the king addressed, i.e., Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• medinī (the earth)
• vana (forest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the impermanence of worldly power: even one who once ruled the earth can be reduced to solitude and helplessness. It implicitly urges reflection on dharma and detachment, especially after the devastation of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya addresses the king (Dhṛtarāṣṭra), contrasting his former sovereignty over the earth with his present condition—alone in a deserted forest—highlighting the reversal brought about by the war’s outcome and its aftermath.