Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ते भारतमहामात्र पाण्डवानां महारथ: । जेतुं नोत्सहते कक्षिन्नाभ्युद्यातुं कंचन

Transliteration

te bhāratamahāmātra pāṇḍavānāṃ mahārathaḥ | jetuṃ notsahate kakṣin nābhyudyātuṃ kaṃcana

Translation

三阇耶说道：“噢，婆罗多族的大臣啊，那位强大的车战勇士竟无心去战胜般度诸子；确然，他甚至不曾起身去挑战任何一人。”

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• महामात्र: O great minister/official
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामात्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पाण्डवानाम्: of the Pandavas
• पाण्डवानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• महारथः: the great chariot-warrior
• महारथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जेतुम्: to conquer
• जेतुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि
• Form: Infinitive (Tumun), Parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• उत्सहते: dares / is able
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्सह्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Atmanepada, Third, Singular

• कश्चित्: anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: कश्चित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अभ्युद्यातुम्: to rise up against / to attack
• अभ्युद्यातुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-उद्-या
• Form: Infinitive (Tumun), Parasmaipada

• कञ्चन: anyone (at all)
• कञ्चन: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: कञ्चन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍavas
• Bhārata (addressee)
• Mahāmātra (addressee/title)
• Mahāratha (unnamed great warrior)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and psychological dimension of warfare: even a top-ranked warrior (mahāratha) may lack the inner resolve to fight, suggesting that victory depends not only on strength but also on conviction, duty-consciousness, and moral clarity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to a senior authority in the Kuru court that a prominent warrior, though capable, is unwilling to confront the Pāṇḍavas and does not step forward to engage anyone—indicating hesitation or loss of fighting spirit at a critical moment.