Shloka 15

Kaurava Mobilization at Kurukṣetra (Duryodhana Orders War Preparations) / कुरुक्षेत्रे धार्तराष्ट्र-सैन्यसज्जा

Devanagari script

यस्तताप तपो घोर सदार: पृथिवीपति: । रोषाद द्रोणविनाशाय वीर: समितिशोभन:

Transliteration

yas tatāpa tapo ghoraṁ sadāraḥ pṛthivīpatiḥ | roṣād droṇavināśāya vīraḥ samitiśobhanaḥ ||

Translation

毗耶娑波耶那说道：那位英勇的国王偕同王后，修行了严酷的苦行。因愤怒而炽燃，立意毁灭德罗纳；那位在军阵交锋中光彩夺目的战士，施行了极其严峻的忏修——显明怒火如何能驱使王者之权，走向极端而带着沉重道德意味的决断。

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तताप: performed austerity / did penance
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• घोरम्: terrible, severe
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सदारः: together with (his) wife
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-दार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पृथिवीपतिः: king, lord of the earth
• पृथिवीपतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रोषात्: from anger / out of wrath
• रोषात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• द्रोणविनाशाय: for the destruction of Droṇa
• द्रोणविनाशाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण-विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• वीरः: hero, brave man
• वीरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समितिशोभनः: splendid in battle
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समिति-शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Droṇa
• pṛthivīpati (a king)
• the king's wife (implicit by sadāraḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tension when tapas (a discipline often associated with purification and higher aims) is fueled by roṣa (anger) and directed toward destruction. It suggests that inner motive shapes the moral color of even powerful spiritual practices.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a heroic king who, along with his wife, undertakes severe austerities with the specific aim—born of wrath—of bringing about Droṇa’s destruction, portraying a determined preparation driven by enmity.