Shloka 28

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय 54: फल्गुन-प्रतिरोधः, सौबली-व्यूह-विध्वंसः, दुर्योधन-भीष्म-संवादः

Devanagari script

विराटद्रुपदौ चेमौ धृष्टद्युम्नश्व पार्षत: । तथैव सबलाश्षेमे राजानो राजसत्तम

Transliteration

virāṭa-drupadau cemau dhṛṣṭadyumnaś ca pārṣataḥ | tathaiva sa-balāś caime rājāno rāja-sattama ||

Translation

সঞ্জয় বললেন—“এখানে বিরাট ও দ্রুপদ আছেন, আর পার্ষত (দ্রুপদ)-পুত্র ধৃষ্টদ্যুম্নও আছেন। তদ্রূপ, হে রাজশ্রেষ্ঠ, অন্যান্য রাজাগণও নিজ নিজ সেনাসহ কুশলে এখানে উপস্থিত।”

Word by Word

विराटVirata

द्रुपदौDrupada (two persons named Drupada / Drupada and another; dual form)

चand

इमौthese two

धृष्टद्युम्नःDhrishtadyumna

चand

पार्षतःthe son of Prishata (Dhrishtadyumna)

तथाthus, likewise

एवindeed, just

सबलाःwith forces/armies; accompanied by troops

क्षेमेin safety; in a secure state/place

राजानःkings

राजसत्तमO best of kings

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

व

विराट (Virāṭa)

द

द्रुपद (Drupada)

ध

धृष्टद्युम्न (Dhṛṣṭadyumna)

प

पार्षत (Pārṣata/Drupada as patronymic base)

र

राजानः (other kings)

ब

बला (armies/forces)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the strategic and ethical weight of righteous alliances in war: kings who have pledged support appear with their forces, highlighting responsibility, loyalty to commitments, and the collective nature of kṣatriya duty on the battlefield.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the prominent leaders present on the Pāṇḍava side—Virāṭa, Drupada, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna—along with other allied kings and their armies, as part of a battlefield enumeration before or during the great conflict.