Shloka 23

शैनेयचरितम्

The Exploits of Śaineya/Sātyaki amid Encirclement

Devanagari script

धार्रराष्ट्रास्तथाभूता वध्यन्ते पाण्डुसृञ्जयै: । अगोपा: पशवो<रण्ये बहुभि: श्वापदैरिव,जैसे वनमें बिना रक्षकके पशुओंको बहुत-से हिंसक जन्तु मार डालते हैं, उसी प्रकार पाण्डव और सूंजय आपके सैनिकोंका वध कर रहे थे

Transliteration

dhārtarāṣṭrās tathābhūtā vadhyante pāṇḍusṛñjayaiḥ | agopāḥ paśavo 'raṇye bahubhiḥ śvāpadair iva ||

Translation

قال سنجيا: وهكذا، كانت جموع الدهارتراشترا تُحصد على أيدي الباندافا والسِرِنْجَيَة، كأنها ماشيةٌ بلا راعٍ في الغابة، تفتك بها سباعٌ كثيرة.

Word by Word

धार्तराष्ट्राःthe Dhārtarāṣṭras (sons/men of Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

तथाthus, in that manner

अभूताःbecame, came to be

वध्यन्तेare being slain

पाण्डुसृञ्जयैःby the Pāṇḍavas and the Sṛñjayas

अगोपालाःwithout protectors/herdsmen

पशवःanimals, cattle

अरण्येin the forest

बहुभिःby many

श्वापदैःby beasts of prey (predators)

इवlike, as if

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (via Dhārtarāṣṭra)

Kaurava army (Dhārtarāṣṭra troops)

Pāṇḍavas

Sṛñjayas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and strategic consequence of failed protection: when an army loses guardianship—command, cohesion, and defensive cover—it becomes like unguarded cattle, exposed to destruction. Implicitly, it stresses the kṣatriya responsibility to protect dependents and maintain order; without that, violence becomes indiscriminate and the weak perish first.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava forces (Dhārtarāṣṭras) are being slaughtered by the Pāṇḍavas and their allies, the Sṛñjayas. He uses a vivid simile: unprotected animals in a forest being killed by numerous predators, conveying the Kauravas’ vulnerability and the intensity of the assault.