Shloka 21

Virāṭanagara-nivāsa-nirṇaya

Decision to Reside in Virāṭa’s City

Devanagari script

मृदुर्वदान्यो ह्वीमांश्व॒ धार्मिक: सत्यविक्रम: । राजंस्त्वमापदा55कृष्ट: कि करिष्यसि पाण्डव,राजन! आपका स्वभाव कोमल है। आप उदार, लज्जाशील, धर्मपरायण तथा सत्यपराक्रमी हैं, तथापि विपत्तिमें पड़ गये हैं। पाण्डुनन्दन! आप वहाँ क्‍या करेंगे?

Transliteration

mṛdur vadānyo hrīmāṁś ca dhārmikaḥ satyavikramaḥ | rājan tvam āpadā kṛṣṭaḥ kiṁ kariṣyasi pāṇḍava ||

Translation

Arjuna nói: “Tâu Đại vương, lời nói của ngài dịu dàng; ngài rộng lượng và biết hổ thẹn; ngài nương theo dharma, và dũng lực của ngài đặt nền trên chân thật. Thế mà ngài vẫn bị xô vào tai ương. Ôi con của Pāṇḍu—ở đó ngài sẽ làm gì?”

Word by Word

• मृदुः: gentle, soft-natured
• मृदुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृदु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वदान्यः: generous
• वदान्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वदान्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ह्रीमान्: modest, possessing shame
• ह्रीमान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ह्रीमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• धार्मिकः: righteous, devoted to dharma
• धार्मिकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धार्मिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यविक्रमः: of true valor / whose prowess is true
• सत्यविक्रमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यविक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• आपदा: by calamity, by misfortune
• आपदा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आपद्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• आकृष्टः: drawn/dragged (into), afflicted
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + कृष्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• करिष्यसि: will you do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Simple Future (लृट्), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पाण्डव: O Pāṇḍava (son of Pāṇḍu)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Pāṇḍava (son of Pāṇḍu)
• King (rājan)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that personal virtues—gentleness, generosity, modesty, commitment to dharma, and truthful valor—are tested most sharply in times of calamity; ethical character must guide one’s response to crisis.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna addresses a king, praising his noble qualities but noting that he has fallen into misfortune, and asks what course of action he intends to take in that difficult situation.