Shloka 203

Devanagari script

क्षपितं पाण्डुपुत्रेण चेष्टतां नो विशाम्पते | 'प्रजानाथ! हमारे बहुत चेष्टा करनेपर भी पाए्डुपुत्र अर्जुनने जिस प्रकार तुम्हारी इस सेनाका संहार कर डाला है, यह सब तो तुम्हारी आँखोंके सामने ही है”

Transliteration

kṣapitaṃ pāṇḍuputreṇa ceṣṭatāṃ no viśāmpate |

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: O Herr der Völker, trotz all unserer Anstrengungen hat der Sohn Pāṇḍus dein Heer vernichtet; all dies geschah vor deinen eigenen Augen.

Word by Word

क्षपितम्destroyed, annihilated

पाण्डु-पुत्रेणby the son of Pāṇḍu (Arjuna)

चेष्टताम्of (us) striving/endeavouring

नःof us/our

विशाम्of the people/subjects

पतेO lord

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Arjuna (Pāṇḍuputra)

Kaurava army

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 underscores the moral weight of kingship and accountability: a ruler cannot evade responsibility for the consequences of war, especially when the devastation unfolds openly before him. It also highlights the limits of human effort when opposed by superior prowess and the momentum of destiny shaped by prior choices.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, despite the Kauravas’ strenuous attempts, Arjuna has effectively annihilated their forces. The statement is framed as a direct, painful reminder that the king is not hearing distant rumors—these events are occurring plainly within his awareness through Sañjaya’s narration.