Shloka 79

Devanagari script

तस्थौ सुविह्वल: संख्ये प्रहारजनितश्रम: । अथ द्रोणस्य समरे तत्कालसदृशं तदा

Transliteration

tasthau suvihvalaḥ saṅkhye prahārajanitaśramaḥ | atha droṇasya samare tatkālasadṛśaṃ tadā

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Mitten im Getümmel stand er völlig erschüttert, erschöpft von der Müdigkeit, die aus wiederholten Schlägen erwuchs. Da ereignete sich in jenem Kampf etwas, das wie das unmittelbare Erscheinen des Todes in diesem Augenblick anmutete — ein unheilvoller Wendepunkt im Ringen.

Word by Word

• तस्थौ: stood
• तस्थौ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सुविह्वलः: greatly bewildered/overwhelmed
• सुविह्वलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुविह्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संख्ये: in battle
• संख्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• प्रहार-जनित-श्रमः: fatigued, produced by blows
• प्रहार-जनित-श्रमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अथ: then
• अथ: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• द्रोणस्य: of Droṇa
• द्रोणस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• समरे: in the battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तत्काल-सदृशम्: like that very moment / instantaneous
• तत्काल-सदृशम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the human limits within warfare: even mighty warriors can become mentally shaken and physically drained. It also frames the battlefield as a realm where sudden, death-like reversals can arise, reminding the listener of impermanence and the grave ethical weight of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a combatant standing in the battle line, overwhelmed and exhausted from repeated strikes. He then signals that, in Droṇa’s sphere of fighting, something occurred that felt like the onset of death—foreshadowing a grim and decisive development.