Shloka 43

Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra

Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance

Devanagari script

उत्तरं वै हतं दृष्टवा वैराटिग्भरातरं तदा । कृतवर्मणा च सहित दृष्टवा शल्यमवस्थितम्‌

Transliteration

uttaraṃ vai hataṃ dṛṣṭvā vairāṭi-bhrātaraṃ tadā | kṛtavarmaṇā ca sahitaṃ dṛṣṭvā śalyam avasthitam ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, seeing Uttara slain—the brother of the princess of Virāṭa—and seeing Śalya standing firm, accompanied by Kṛtavarman, (the warriors reacted accordingly). The verse underscores the grim momentum of battle: the fall of a young prince and the steadfast presence of seasoned fighters intensify both the sorrow and the resolve that drive the war forward.

Word by Word

• उत्तरम्: Uttara (name)
• उत्तरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• हतम्: slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: kta (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: ktvā (absolutive/gerund)

• वैराटिम्: the Virāṭa princess (Uttarā)
• वैराटिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैराटी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• भ्रातरम्: brother
• भ्रातरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• कृतवर्मणा: by Kṛtavarman
• कृतवर्मणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतवर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सहितः: accompanied (together)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित
• Form: kta (used adjectivally), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: ktvā (absolutive/gerund)

• शल्यम्: Śalya
• शल्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अवस्थितम्: standing/posted, stationed
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-स्था
• Form: kta (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Uttara (Virāṭa prince)
• Uttarā (Virāṭa princess) (implied by 'vairāṭī')
• Kṛtavarman
• Śalya
• Virāṭa (dynastic reference via 'vairāṭī')

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical gravity of war: even noble lineages and youthful princes fall, while veteran warriors remain steadfast. It implicitly points to the Mahābhārata’s recurring reflection that victory and loss in battle carry profound human cost, testing resolve and dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Uttara, the brother of the Virāṭa princess (Uttarā), has been killed. At the same time, he notes Śalya standing in position, accompanied by Kṛtavarman—marking a shift in the battlefield situation as key figures are seen and assessed.