Shloka 23

गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel

Devanagari script

स कथं कौरवे वंशे प्रशंसन्‌ जन्म चात्मन: । युद्धाद्‌ भीतस्ततस्तोयं प्रविश्य प्रतितिष्ठसि

Transliteration

sa kathaṃ kaurave vaṃśe praśaṃsan janma cātmanaḥ | yuddhād bhītastatastoyaṃ praviśya pratitiṣṭhasi ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“你曾夸耀自己生于俱卢一脉，称颂自己的出身。如今却为何惧怕战斗，潜入水中，并藏身其内不出？”

Word by Word

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

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• कौरवे: in the Kaurava (lineage)
• कौरवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौरव
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वंशे: in the lineage
• वंशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• प्रशंसन्: praising
• प्रशंसन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शंस्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• आत्मनः: of yourself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• युद्धात्: from battle
• युद्धात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• भीतः: afraid
• भीतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भी
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रविश्य: having entered
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active

• प्रतितिष्ठसि: you stand/remain (settle yourself)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-स्था
• Form: Lat (Present), Parasmaipada, Second, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Kaurava lineage (Kuru dynasty)
• water (toya)
• battle/war (yuddha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse critiques empty pride in noble birth when it is not matched by courage and duty in crisis; lineage is shown as ethically meaningful only when upheld through conduct, especially in the face of fear.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports a taunting rebuke directed at a Kaurava who had earlier gloried in his Kuru birth but, terrified by the fighting, has entered the water to hide and is staying there instead of facing battle.