Shloka 396

Devanagari script

वृक्षाश्नौषधयश्चैव व्याश्रयन्त किरीटिनम्‌ | पर्वत, समुद्र, सजल नदियाँ, वृक्ष तथा ओषधियाँ--इन सबने अर्जुनके पक्षका आश्रय ले रखा था

Transliteration

vṛkṣāśnauṣadhayaś caiva vyāśrayanta kirīṭinam |

Translation

三阇耶说道：就连树木、可食之草木与药草，也都投向戴冠者基利丁（阿周那）寻求庇护。在史诗的道德想象中，自然本身仿佛与正义之侧同心，暗示阿周那的事业不仅有人的盟助，更得世界秩序之扶持。

Word by Word

• वृक्षाः: trees
• वृक्षाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• औषधयः: herbs/medicinal plants
• औषधयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: औषधि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

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

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• व्याश्रयन्त: took refuge in / resorted to
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• किरीटिनम्: the diadem-wearer (Arjuna)
• किरीटिनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: किरीटिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna (Kirīṭin)
• trees (vṛkṣāḥ)
• edible plants (āśna)
• medicinal herbs (auṣadhayaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse conveys an epic motif: when dharma is on one side, the natural world is imagined as inclining toward it. This frames righteousness as harmonizing with the broader cosmic order, not merely with human opinion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes signs of alignment and support for Arjuna (Kirīṭin), stating that even vegetation—trees, edible plants, and medicinal herbs—are depicted as taking refuge with him, implying auspicious backing for his side in the conflict.