Shloka 21

Duryodhana-śibira-praveśaḥ — The Pāṇḍavas Enter the Kaurava Camp; The Burning of Arjuna’s Chariot

Devanagari script

नैष योग्योउ्द्य मित्र वा शत्रुर्वा पुरुषाधम:

Transliteration

naiṣa yogyodya mitra vā śatrur vā puruṣādhamaḥ

Translation

三阇耶说道：“此最卑劣之人，无论为友为敌，都不配参与任何值得的交锋。”

Word by Word

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

• एषः: this (man)
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• योग्यः: fit, suitable
• योग्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उद्य: today/now (as an interjection/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद्य

• मित्रः: friend
• मित्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

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

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• पुरुषाधमः: worst of men, vile man
• पुरुषाधमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषाधम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moral unworthiness can make a person unfit for meaningful relationship or honorable conflict; the verse frames ethical degradation as disqualifying in both friendship and enmity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, delivers a sharp evaluative remark about a certain man, branding him ‘puruṣādhama’ and declaring him unfit to be treated as either ally or adversary.