Shloka 28

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Duryodhana Saṃvāda on Restraint and Rājānīti

Chapter 50

Devanagari script

शिशुपाल इवास्माकं गति: स्याज्नात्र संशय: । सपत्नेनावहासो मे स मां दहति भारत

Transliteration

śiśupāla ivāsmākaṃ gatiḥ syāj jñātra saṃśayaḥ | sapatnenāvahāso me sa māṃ dahati bhārata ||

Translation

难敌说道：“我们的命运必如尸输波罗一般——当知无疑。对手加诸于我的嘲弄灼烧着我，噢，婆罗多。”

Word by Word

• शिशुपालः: Shishupala
• शिशुपालः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशुपाल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अस्माकम्: of us, our
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Plural

• गतिः: fate, end, course
• गतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• स्यात्: would be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• अत्र: here, in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• संशयः: doubt
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सपत्नेन: by a rival/enemy
• सपत्नेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सपत्न
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अवहासः: mockery, derision
• अवहासः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवहास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मे: my, of me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• सः: that (it/he)
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• दहति: burns, scorches
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह्
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• Shishupala
• Bhārata (address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Unchecked pride and fixation on insult become self-consuming; Duryodhana’s sense of wounded honor turns ridicule into inner fire, pushing him toward destructive choices rather than restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the aftermath of the Pandavas’ success and the tensions of the royal assembly, Duryodhana confesses that his rival’s mockery torments him; he fears that any rash attempt at retaliation would end like Śiśupāla’s—swiftly and disastrously.