Shloka 11

Devanagari script

तस्य व्यवसितत्त्यागो बुद्धिमास्थाय कां त्वया । कच्चिन्नु दु:खैरबुद्धिस्ते विलुप्ता गतचेतस:,जिसके बल-पराक्रमका आश्रय लेकर हमलोग धृतराष्ट्रपुत्रोंको मारकर धन-धान्यसे सम्पन्न इस (सम्पूर्ण) पृथ्वीको अपने अधिकारमें आयी हुई ही मानते हैं, उस बलवान पुत्रके त्यागका निश्चय आपने किस बुद्धिसे किया है? क्या आप अनेक दु:खोंके कारण अपनी चेतना खो बैठी हैं? आपकी बुद्धि लुप्त हो गयी है

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | tasya vyavasitatyāgo buddhim āsthāya kāṃ tvayā | kaccin nu duḥkhair abuddhis te viluptā gatacetasaḥ ||

Translation

玉提湿陀罗说道：“倚仗那位强子之力与英勇，我们以为：诛灭持国之子、赢得这富庶大地，已在掌握之中。你却凭何心智，决意舍弃他？莫非屡遭忧患夺去你的清明——使你心神摇荡，理解尽失？”

Word by Word

तस्यof him/that

व्यवसित-त्यागःthe resolved/decided renunciation

बुद्धिम्understanding, judgment

आस्थायhaving resorted to / having adopted

काम्which (what kind of)

त्वयाby you

कच्चित्surely? I hope (interrogative particle)

नुindeed/then (emphatic particle)

दुःखैःby sorrows, through sufferings

अबुद्धिःloss of understanding, folly

तेyour

विलुप्ताlost, destroyed

गत-चेतसःone whose mind is gone; senseless

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Dhṛtarāṣṭra-putrāḥ (sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra / Kauravas)

pṛthivī (the earth/kingdom)

tasyāḥ putraḥ (that mighty son; implied)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical demand for clear discernment (buddhi) in moments of crisis: major decisions—especially abandoning a powerful ally or son tied to one’s political and dharmic aims—should not be driven by grief-induced confusion. It frames sorrow as a force that can eclipse judgment, and it urges steadiness of mind when duty and consequence are at stake.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira challenges a decision to give up “that mighty son,” whose strength is seen as pivotal for overcoming Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons and securing the kingdom. He questions the rationale behind this renunciation and worries that the decision-maker has been overwhelmed by suffering, losing mental clarity and sound judgment.