Shloka 423

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 114 — Karṇa–Bhīmasena Missile Exchange, Disarmament, and Arjuna’s Intervention

Devanagari script

एते दुर्वारणा नाम काम्बोजा यदि ते श्रुता: । “राजन! ये जो सोनेकी ध्वजावाले रथी दिखायी देते हैं, ये दुर्वारण नामवाले काम्बोज सैनिक हैं। आपने इनका नाम सुना होगा

Transliteration

ete durvāraṇā nāma kāmbojā yadi te śrutāḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „O König, dies sind die Kāmboja-Krieger, bekannt als die Durvāraṇas – Männer, die schwer zu zügeln oder zu überwinden sind –, deren Namen Ihr gewiss schon vernommen habt.“

Word by Word

एतेthese

दुर्वारणाthe Durvāraṇas (name of a group/warriors)

नामby name / named

काम्बोजाःKāmbojas

यदिif

तेof you / your

श्रुताःheard of / known (to have been heard)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Rājan (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

Kāmbojas

Durvāraṇas

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 how reputation and prior knowledge (‘heard of’) shape perception in war: formidable groups are recognized not only by what they do in the moment but by the renown attached to their name, reminding leaders to assess opponents realistically and without complacency.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is reporting to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra about specific troops visible on the battlefield, identifying them as the Kāmbojas called ‘Durvāraṇas’—a renowned, hard-to-check fighting contingent.