Shloka 31

उपायैः पूर्ववधकथनम् / Strategic Justifications for Prior Eliminations

Devanagari script

सा निशी्थे महाराज सेनादृश्यत भारती

Transliteration

sā niśīthe mahārāja senā dṛśyata bhāratī

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „O großer König, in der tiefsten Nacht wurde das Heer der Bhāratas (wieder) sichtbar“, ein Hinweis auf einen angespannten nächtlichen Augenblick des Krieges, in dem Dunkelheit, Furcht und Wachsamkeit bestimmen, was wahrgenommen werden kann, und die Befehlshaber zu verantwortlichem Handeln inmitten der Ungewissheit zwingen.

Word by Word

• सा: she/that (f.)
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• निशीथे: at midnight
• निशीथे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशीथ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सेना: the army
• सेना: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अदृश्यत: was seen/appeared
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada (passive sense)

• भारती: Bhāratī (Sarasvatī / speech-goddess)
• भारती: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारती
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhārata army (Kaurava/Pāṇḍava host collectively)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war and crisis, perception is fragile—especially at night—so leaders must act with restraint and discernment, aware that uncertainty can magnify fear and error.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, at midnight, the Bhārata host becomes visible, marking a critical nocturnal phase of the battle where movements and formations are being observed despite darkness.