Shloka 17

धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — दुर्योधनस्य ह्रदप्रवेशः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue: Duryodhana’s Entry into the Lake

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार उस महासमरमें जब कौरवोंके पास बहुत थोड़ी सेना शेष रह गयी, तब हर्ष और उत्साहमें भरकर पाण्डव वीर उन सबको यमलोक पहुँचाने लगे ।। एतस्मिन्नन्तरे शूर: सौवलेय: प्रतापवान्‌ | प्रासेन सहदेवस्य शिरसि प्राहरद्‌ भूशम्‌,इसी समय प्रतापी वीर सुबलपुत्र शकुनिने अपने प्राससे सहदेवके मस्तकपर गहरी चोट पहुँचायी

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

isaṃ prakāraṃ tasmin mahāsamare yadā kauravāṇāṃ samīpe bahu alpā senā śeṣābhavat, tadā harṣotsāhena pūrṇāḥ pāṇḍavavīrāḥ tān sarvān yamalokaṃ prāpayituṃ pravṛttāḥ ||

etasminn antare śūraḥ sauvāleyaḥ pratāpavān |

prāsena sahadevasya śirasi prāharad bhūśam ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: So geschah es in jener großen Schlacht: Als vom Heer der Kauravas nur noch ein sehr kleiner Rest übrig war, machten sich die Helden der Pāṇḍavas—erfüllt von Freude und neu entflammtem Eifer—daran, sie alle in Yamas Reich zu senden. Da traf der tapfere und mächtige Sohn Subalas, Śakuni (der Sauvāleya), Sahadeva mit seinem Speer hart am Kopf.

Word by Word

• {'sañjaya uvāca': 'Sañjaya said', 'mahāsamara': 'great battle, vast combat', 'kaurava': 'the Kauravas

• sons/party of Dhṛtarāṣṭra', 'senā': 'army, host', 'śeṣa': 'remaining, left over', 'harṣa': 'joy, exhilaration', 'utsāha': 'energy, zeal, martial ardour', 'pāṇḍava-vīra': 'Pāṇḍava hero/warrior', 'yamaloka': 'the world/realm of Yama (lord of death)', 'etasminn antare': 'in the meantime

• just then', 'śūra': 'heroic, brave warrior', 'sauvāleya': 'descendant of Suvala/Saubala line

• epithet of Śakuni', 'pratāpavān': 'mighty, powerful, possessing prowess', 'prāsa': 'spear, lance', 'śiras': 'head', 'prāharat': 'struck, smote', 'bhūśam': 'violently, heavily, with great force'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kauravas
• Pāṇḍavas
• Yama
• Yamaloka
• Śakuni (Sauvāleya, son of Subala)
• Subala
• Sahadeva
• Prāsa (spear)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the grim moral atmosphere of war: when armies collapse, exhilaration and zeal can surge, yet the outcome remains death and accountability (symbolized by Yamaloka). It reflects the tension within kṣatriya-dharma—valor and duty in battle—while reminding that violence inevitably leads to mortality and consequence.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the Kaurava forces are reduced to a small remainder, the Pāṇḍava warriors press the advantage with heightened enthusiasm. At that moment, Śakuni (called Sauvāleya), son of Subala, delivers a heavy spear-blow to Sahadeva’s head.