Shloka 54

Devanagari script

अद्य सर्वान्‌ हनिष्यामि ध्रुवोी हि विजयो भवेत्‌ | 'योद्धाओ! तुम भयसे पीड़ित हो रहे हो। परंतु मैं ऐसा कोई स्थान नहीं देखता, जहाँ तुम भागकर जाओ और वहाँ जानेपर तुम्हें पाण्डुपुत्र अर्जुन या भीमसेनसे छुटकारा मिल जाय। ऐसी दशामें तुम्हारे भागनेसे क्या लाभ है? इन शत्रुओंके पास थोड़ी-सी ही सेना बच गयी है। श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुन भी बहुत घायल हो चुके हैं; अत: आज मैं इन सब लोगोंको मार डालूँगा। हमारी विजय अवश्य होगी ।। विप्रयातांस्तु वो भिन्नान्‌ पाण्डवा: कृतकिल्बिषान्‌

Transliteration

adya sarvān haniṣyāmi dhruvo hi vijayo bhavet | viprayātāṁs tu vo bhinnān pāṇḍavāḥ kṛtakilbiṣān ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“今日我必尽诛其众，胜利必定属于我们。至于你们——溃散破碎、转身逃遁之人——般度诸子将把你们当作罪人追击斩杀，因为你们以恶行自招其咎。”

Word by Word

अद्यtoday

सर्वान्all (of them)

हनिष्यामिI will kill

ध्रुवःcertain, assured

हिindeed, for

विजयःvictory

भवेत्would be / may be

विप्रयातान्departed, gone away

तुbut, however

वःof you (your)

भिन्नान्broken, scattered, routed

पाण्डवाःthe Pandavas

कृतकिल्बिषान्those who have committed sin/offence

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pāṇḍavas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts rash certainty of victory with the moral consequence of wrongdoing: those who have become 'kṛtakilbiṣa' (culpable) and then break ranks or flee invite destruction. It underscores the Mahābhārata theme that adharma brings inevitable retribution, regardless of battlefield bravado.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Karṇa Parva battle setting, Sañjaya reports a warrior’s fierce resolve—claiming he will kill all opponents and that victory is assured—while warning that troops who are scattered and retreating will be cut down by the Pāṇḍavas, especially because they stand in the wrong through their offenses.