Shloka 32

Devanagari script

संजय उवाच ततो धनंजयो राजज्शिरसा प्रणतस्तदा । पादौ जग्राह पाणि श्यां भ्रातुर्ज्येष्ठसल्य मारिष,संजय कहते हैं--माननीय नरेश! तब धनंजयने मस्तक झुकाकर प्रणाम किया और दोनों हाथोंसे बड़े भाईके पैर पकड़ लिये

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca tato dhanañjayo rājañ śirasā praṇatas tadā | pādau jagrāha pāṇibhyāṁ bhrātur jyeṣṭhasya māriṣa ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Da neigte Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), o König, in Ehrfurcht das Haupt; und in jenem Augenblick, o Ehrwürdiger, umfasste er mit beiden Händen die Füße seines ältesten Bruders—eine Tat der Demut und der brüderlichen Pflicht, selbst inmitten der harten Forderungen des Krieges.

Word by Word

संजयःSanjaya

उवाचsaid

ततःthen, thereafter

धनंजयःDhanañjaya (Arjuna)

राजन्O king

शिरसाwith (his) head

प्रणतःbowed down, having saluted

तदाat that time

पादौthe two feet

जग्राहseized, took hold of

पाणिभ्याम्with (his) two hands

भ्रातुःof (his) brother

ज्येष्ठस्यof the eldest

सख्यO friend

मारीषO noble one / sir

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)

the King (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

eldest brother (Yudhiṣṭhira)

feet (pādau)

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?

Even in conflict, dharma is upheld through humility and reverence: Arjuna honors his elder brother, affirming that rightful conduct and respect for hierarchy do not vanish in wartime.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna bows and respectfully takes hold of his eldest brother’s feet with both hands, signaling submission, seeking blessing/approval, and reaffirming fraternal allegiance.