Shloka 43

Devanagari script

हताविति तयोरासीत्‌ सेनयोरुभयोर्मतिः । तरसाभ्यागतौ दृष्टवा सहितौ केशवार्जुनौ,श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुनके सम्बन्धमें उन दोनों ही सेनाओंको यह विश्वास हो गया था कि वे मारे गये। फिर उन दोनोंको एक साथ वेगपूर्वक निकट आया देख सबको बड़ी प्रसन्नता हुई

Transliteration

hatāv iti tayor āsīt senayor ubhayor matiḥ | tarasābhyāgatau dṛṣṭvā sahitau keśavārjunau |

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Beide Heere waren zu der Überzeugung gelangt, Kṛṣṇa und Arjuna seien gefallen. Als sie jedoch Keśava und Arjuna wieder gemeinsam mit großer Geschwindigkeit herannahen sahen, ging eine Welle der Erleichterung und Freude durch das Heer—und es zeigte sich, wie rasch Furcht und Gerücht im Krieg die Gemüter bewegen und wie die Gegenwart gerechter Führung Mut und Standhaftigkeit zurückbringt.

Word by Word

हतौslain (the two)

इतिthus

तयोःof those two

आसीत्was

सेनयोःof the two armies

उभयोःof both

मतिःbelief, thought

तरसाwith speed, swiftly

अभ्यागतौhaving come near/approached (the two)

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

सहितौtogether, united (the two)

केशवKeshava (Krishna)

अर्जुनौthe two Arjunas (i.e., Arjuna with Keshava as a pair in context)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

Arjuna

the two armies (Pāṇḍava and Kaurava forces)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In war, collective belief can be shaped by fear and incomplete information; the reappearance of steadfast leaders restores confidence. Ethically, the verse highlights the responsibility of leaders to remain visible and resolute, since their presence stabilizes the community in crisis.

What is happening in the narrative?

Both sides momentarily assume that Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna have been killed. When they are then seen approaching together at great speed, the armies feel renewed joy and relief, recognizing that the key charioteer and warrior are alive and united.