Shloka 10

Devanagari script

शत्रुश्चैव हि मित्रं च न लेख्यं न च मातृका । यो वै संतापयति यं स शत्रु: प्रोच्यते नृप

Transliteration

śatruś caiva hi mitraṃ ca na lekhyaṃ na ca mātṛkā | yo vai santāpayati yaṃ sa śatruḥ procyate nṛpa rājann |

Translation

杜尤陀那说道：“大王，并无一册永恒的名簿，也无一套字母符号，能把某人永久标作‘敌’或‘友’。谁使谁受苦，在那种关系里，谁就被称为对方的敌人。”

Word by Word

• शत्रुः: enemy
• शत्रुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

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

• हि: for/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• मित्रम्: friend
• मित्रम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

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

• लेख्यम्: to be written/recorded
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लेख्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• न: nor/not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

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

• मातृका: alphabet/letter-series (indicator)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृका
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वै: indeed/verily
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• संतापयति: causes to suffer/torments
• Type: Verb
• Root: संतापय् (संताप + णिच्), धातु: तप्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• शत्रुः: enemy
• शत्रुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रोच्यते: is called/said
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Passive (Karmani)

• नृप: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• nṛpa/rājan (the king addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Friendship and enmity are not permanent labels; they are defined by conduct. The one who causes another suffering functions as that person’s enemy in that context.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana addresses a king and frames relationships in practical terms, arguing that ‘friend’ and ‘enemy’ are determined by who brings distress or relief, not by any fixed social or written designation.