Shloka 54

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 123 — Bhīṣma–Droṇa–Vidura Upadeśa to Duryodhana

Keśava-vākya aftermath

Devanagari script

तथा विराटनगरे श्रूयते महदद्भुतम्‌ । एकस्य च बहूनां च पर्याप्त तन्निदर्शनम्‌

Transliteration

tathā virāṭanagare śrūyate mahad adbhutam | ekasya ca bahūnāṃ ca paryāptaṃ tan nidarśanam ||

Translation

同样，在毗罗吒城也流传着一件宏大而奇异的事：一名战士独自迎战众多强悍勇士的传闻。仅凭这一例，便足以昭示未来一战的结局。

Word by Word

• तथा: thus; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• विराट-नगरे: in the city of Virāṭa
• विराट-नगरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विराटनगर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• श्रूयते: is heard; is said
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Present, Ātmanepada (passive sense), Third, Singular

• महत्: great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अद्भुतम्: marvellous; wondrous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एकस्य: of one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

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

• बहूनाम्: of many
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

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

• पर्याप्तम्: sufficient; adequate
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्याप्त
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• निदर्शनम्: example; illustration; proof
• Type: Noun
• Root: निदर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Virāṭanagara

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A single decisive exemplar can reveal the likely outcome of a larger conflict: true prowess, discipline, and intelligent conduct can outweigh numerical superiority, serving as a moral and strategic sign for what is to come.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana points to a famous report from Virāṭa’s city—an astonishing incident of one fighter confronting many—as a sufficient illustration to predict the future result of the impending war.