Shloka 20

उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय २५: संजयदूतवाक्यम्

Sañjaya’s Envoy-Speech on Peace

Devanagari script

आशंसते वै धृतराष्ट्र: सपुत्रो महाराज्यमसपत्नं॑ पृथिव्याम्‌ | तस्मिज्छम: केवल नोपलभ्य: सर्व स्वकं मद्गते मन्यते<र्थम्‌

Transliteration

āśaṃsate vai dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ saputro mahārājyam asapatnaṃ pṛthivyām | tasmiñ chamaḥ kevala nopalabhyaḥ sarvaṃ svakaṃ madgate manyate 'rtham ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：持国王与其诸子，正怀抱着在大地上建立无敌帝权的希冀。与这样的人相处，单凭“和平”二字并不能真正稳固；因为当我们被驱逐之时落入他手的一切财富与利益，如今他都尽数视为己有。因此，纵然我多方思量，也看不出有何办法能在不冒冲突之险的情况下，同时保全俱卢一脉与般度一脉的福祉。

Word by Word

• आशंसते: they hope/expect
• आशंसते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-शंस्
• Form: Lat, Atmanepada, Prathama, Bahu

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• धृतराष्ट्रः: Dhritarashtra
• धृतराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Pum, Prathama, Eka

• सपुत्रः: together with (his) sons
• सपुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-पुत्र
• Form: Pum, Prathama, Eka

• महाराज्यम्: great sovereignty/empire
• महाराज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-राज्य
• Form: Napum, Dvitiya, Eka

• असपत्नम्: rival-less, uncontested
• असपत्नम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-सपत्न
• Form: Napum, Dvitiya, Eka

• पृथिव्याम्: on the earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी
• Form: Stri, Saptami, Eka

• तस्मिन्: in that (matter/situation)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Pum/Napum, Saptami, Eka

• क्षमा: forbearance/peace (as a policy)
• क्षमा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षमा
• Form: Stri, Prathama, Eka

• केवलम्: only, merely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल

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

• उपलभ्यः: obtainable/attainable
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-लभ्
• Form: Tavya/Ya (potential passive participle sense), Pum, Prathama, Eka

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Napum, Dvitiya, Eka

• स्वकम्: one's own
• स्वकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वक
• Form: Napum, Dvitiya, Eka

• मत्-गते: when I have gone / in my absence
• मत्-गते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्-गत
• Form: Kta (past passive participle), Napum, Saptami, Eka

• मन्यते: he thinks/considers
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्
• Form: Lat, Atmanepada, Prathama, Eka

• अर्थम्: wealth/property (object/meaning intended)
• अर्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: Pum, Dvitiya, Eka

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons (Kauravas)
• Pṛthivī (the earth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Unrestrained ambition and possessiveness make genuine peace impossible; when a ruler treats others’ rightful wealth and status as his own, ethical settlement (śama) collapses and conflict becomes likely.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports the political reality: Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his sons are hoping for an uncontested empire and have begun to treat the Pāṇḍavas’ interests as their own, so Sañjaya doubts that a lasting peace agreement can be maintained.