महाभारत · 7.17.28–29
॥
देवनागरी
शप्त्वा तु शपथान् घोरान् सर्वसैन्यस्य पश्यतः ॥
गत्वा दौर्योधनं सैन्यं किं वै वक्ष्यथ मुख्यगाः ॥
नावहास्याः कथं लोके कर्मणानेन संयुगे ॥
भवेम सहिताः सर्वे निवर्तध्वं यथाबलम् ॥
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
śaptvā tu śapathān ghorān sarvasainyasya paśyataḥ ||
gatvā dauryodhanaṃ sainyaṃ kiṃ vai vakṣyatha mukhyagāḥ ||
nāvahāsyāḥ kathaṃ loke karmaṇānena saṃyuge ||
bhavema sahitāḥ sarve nivartadhvaṃ yathābalam ||
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
शप्त्वाśaptvāhaving sworn [having taken oaths]; having uttered
तुtuindeed; truly
शपथान्śapathānoaths [vows]; [dread] vows
घोरान्ghorānterrible [dreadful]; fearsome
सर्वसैन्यस्यsarvasainyasyaof the whole army; [before] the whole host
पश्यतःpaśyataḥ[before the] watching [as witness]; looking on
गत्वाgatvāhaving gone [having returned]; having returned
दौर्योधनम्dauryodhanamDuryodhana's; [to] Duryodhana's
सैन्यम्sainyamarmy [camp]; host
किम्kimwhat; what indeed
वैvaiindeed [truly]; indeed
वक्ष्यथvakṣyathawill you say; you will say
मुख्यगाःmukhyagāḥO foremost ones [those who go in front]; O leaders [vanguard]
नnanot; [lest] not
अवहास्याःavahāsyāḥ[not] to be mocked [deserving ridicule]; a laughingstock
कथम्kathamhow; in what way
लोकेlokein the world [among people]; before the world
कर्मणाkarmaṇāby [this] deed [act]; [by] this deed
अनेनanenathis; [this very]
संयुगेsaṃyugein battle; in the fight
भवेमbhavema[how] would we become; would we become
सहिताःsahitāḥtogether [jointly]; all together
सर्वेsarveall; all of us
निवर्तध्वम्nivartadhvamturn back [turn to face battle]; turn around [to meet]
यथाबलम्yathābalamaccording to your strength [as much as your power allows]; to the best of your ability
अनुवाद
'Having sworn terrible oaths before the eyes of the whole army, what will you say, O leaders, when you return to Duryodhana's camp? Lest we all together become a laughingstock before the world by this deed in battle! Turn back [to face the enemy] to the best of your strength.'
संस्करण
73d0f4dc809f · प्रकाशित 19 जुल॰ 2026, 3:00:04 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
What moves the king in this hour of trial is not fidelity to dharma nor love of truth, but fear of shame: how shall we appear before Duryodhana, how avoid becoming a laughingstock? The valor he calls to awaken rests not on honor but on shame before others. It is telling that even this call to steadfastness is turned outward — toward the judgment of others, not toward one's own conscience. Thus courage that rests only on reputation shows itself: it can drive men into battle but does not sanctify it. The verse teaches us to distinguish valor born of truth from valor born of fear of censure; and though fear of shame can bring the fleeing man back into formation, the cause for which he returns is not thereby made right.